Will not take England for granted: Kohli

Rajkot, Nov 13 (IANS) India Test cricket captain Virat Kohli reckons that England should not be taken for granted after they put India under intense pressure on the final day of the first Test that ended in a draw.

Chasing a 310-run target on the final day, India survived anxious moments before posting 172/6 in their second innings to force the draw at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium here.

Kohli was accompanied by local star Ravindra Jadeja (32 not out) when the match ended inconclusively.

Kohli said he expected a much better fielding effort from his side for the next match after several dropped catches helped England reach a commanding position.

"We could have been much better on first two of the game. We dropped five catches. England are a side we are not going to take for granted. Good to get things done in the end. Need to correct the things we need to. England's bowlers put constant pressure. We need to accept what happened," Kohli said after the match here on Sunday.

"Good opportunity to find out new things about your game. Couldn't get a better chance to practice other aspects of your game (towards the end). Important to convince yourself you can negotiate what's thrown at you," he added.

Commenting on the match, England captain Alastair Cook, who slammed his 30th Test century the second innings, said he is satisfied with team's performance in the first match.

"We had really tough five days and it was a good toss to win. In India if you score 530, you're always in the game. We played good cricket and were relentless with the ball. We didn't let India score too quickly. To keep them to 480, we did well," Cook said.

Cook also heaped praises on promising debutant batsman Haseeb Hameed and spinner Adil Rashid.

Rashid (3/64) was England's most successful bowler in the second innings. His fellow spinners Moeen Ali and Zafar Ansari took one wicket each.

"The way Has (Hameed) played was brilliant. We wanted to make them (India) score something they couldn't get (in the second innings). The wicket was flat for the first three days, and then turned more and more. He (Hameed) looked the real deal in the first innings, we certainly found a batsman there, he certainly looks a good one. Adil (Rashid) stepped up another level," said the England skipper.

Batsman Joe Root, who scored 124 in the first innings said the draw is frustrating and will work hard for the nect game.

"There is slight frustration, credit to Cooky and Has (Haseeb Hameed) for setting the game. We can take a lot of confidence going into the next one. We have to make sure we put the hard work in for the next Test. We are doing some good stuff at the moment," Root said.

"We had so many chances that could have gone (our way). We gave our everything in those 50 overs. That second innings score is not a fair reflection of the wicket, the top order was outstanding," said Root, who too made a solid 124 in the first innings," he added.

Moeen Ali who was declared as the match-of-the-match for his all-round performance said that the visitors made good use of the Indian conditions.

"It was a very good pitch. I enjoyed batting with Rooty. We feel like we've prepared really well. Something I've developed over the past few years, in international cricket, the pace is important. I thought we played spin really well here," Ali said.

--IANS

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