When rain denied India a chance to push for a victory in ENG vs IND 2021 Nottingham Test

Team India and the weather do not go hand in hand, especially in England. Two years after a rain-marred, heart-breaking semi-final in the 2019 ODI World Cup against New Zealand at Old Trafford, Manchester, the Men in Blue were met with a similar cruel fate once again in the first Test of the 2021 tour at Trent Bridge, Nottingham.

India were absolutely dominant in the series opener, bowling out England for 183 on the first day, before taking a significant lead. The hosts could not mount up a serious challenge in their second innings after rain made sporadic appearances across Day 2 and Day 3 of the Test.

Jasprit Bumrah's five-wicket haul in the second innings meant that India were handed a 209-run target to hunt down in the final phase of the game. The visitors laid down a strong foundation for the run chase towards the end of Day 4, scoring 52-1. Virat Kohli and co. were in pole position ahead of the final day, needing only 157 runs for a valuable 1-0 lead, with nine wickets in hands.

However, relentless rain on the final day meant that play was called off without a ball being bowled. Virat Kohli expressed his disappointment at the match being drawn with India close to a historic win.

"We were expecting rain on day three and four, but it chooses to arrive on day five. We thought we were in a good position to have a crack at the target. This is exactly what we wanted to do: we wanted to start strong," Kohli told the broadcasters after the match was officially adjudged as a draw (via ESPN Cricinfo).

"Heading to day five, we had our chances right in front of us. One good partnership and then you know what happens when there's only 150 on the board to defend. We certainly felt like we are on top of the game. We bowled well enough and batted well enough to stay in the contest and then getting that lead was crucial which kept us on top throughout the game," he added.

Team India went on to record wins at the Lord's and the Oval during the tour, but had to settle for a drawn series after losing at Headingley and Edgbaston.

Team India face a challenge against the weather yet again during ENG vs IND 2025 2nd Test

The Shubman Gill-led side are also placed in a similar predicament and desperately needs the weather on their side to cap off their dominant performance with a win. They have the visitors on the ropes at 72-3 after posting a mammoth target of 608. However, a spell of rain has delayed the start to Day 5 at Edgbaston, Birmingham.

According to the latest update, rain has relented, and India are likely to have 80 overs in the bank to clinch the remaining seven wickets in a bid to level the series.