We Were Looking To Have A Good Crack At The Target: Virat Kohli

Indian captain Virat Kohli was a disappointed man at the post-match presentation after persistent rain in Nottingham did not give his team a chance of having a crack at the target.

Leading into day 05, the first Test was set up for a classic finish as India needed another 157 runs with nine wickets still at their disposal while England needed another 9 wickets.

However, persistent rain in Nottingham meant that not a single ball was bowled on the final day leading to the match ending in a stalemate.

With India having knocked off 52 runs out of their target of 209 thanks to positive batting from KL Rahul on day 04, Virat Kohli felt that his side was looking to have a good crack at the target on the final day.

“We were expecting rain on days 3 and 4, and it chose to arrive on day 5 when we were looking to have a good crack at the target. We wanted to start strong, and heading into day five we felt we had the chance right in front of the ball. We certainly felt we were right on top, and it’s a shame we couldn’t complete day five. We got to 50 overnight, a real positive for us. It wasn’t just about survival, it was about getting the boundaries when we got the chance,” said Virat Kohli.

Virat Kohli lauds Indian tail for their crucial contribution with the bat in Nottingham

One refreshing thing that we saw in this Test match is that the much-talked-about Indian tail contributed with the bat in India’s first innings.

The last three batters- Mohammed Shami (13), Jasprit Bumrah (28), and Mohammed Siraj (7*)- added 48 runs between them and ensured that India swelled their lead to 95.

Kohli said that the performance was a result of hard yards put in by the aforementioned names in the nets in the lead-up to the series while crediting the trio for the lead that India eventually managed.

“It’s the hard work of three-odd weeks (the lower-order batting). They were in the nets regularly, and we got a lead of 95 purely from their efforts. I think they did a tremendous job with the bat,” said Virat Kohli.

Both sides will now head to London where they will lock horns at Lord’s Cricket Ground from August 12.

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