England batsman Jonathan Trott, who lived dangerously en route to a crucial unbeaten fifty in the first cricket Test against India, said the match is evenly poised and the visitors will come back strongly.

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"The game is even really. India will obviously try to make inroads as a bowling unit while we, who played pretty well today...have a lot of hard work tomorrow," stated Trott who, including his unbeaten 58 on Thursday, has 564 runs from four Tests at Lord's at an average of 141.00 with two centuries.

Trott got two reprieves from the Indian fielders at 8 and 32 but rather than term himself lucky, he viewed it as part and parcel of the game.

"Sometimes you nick the first ball and while fielding, sometimes screamers are accepted and you put down simple ones. I am really pleased to get through. I had a let-off once or twice. That's cricket," he said.

In order to make England progress smoothly, Trott wasn't willing to look too far ahead in the present game.

"Our job is to combat and do what best we can, not looking too far ahead. We ought to first get through half an hour, then one hour or somebody's good spell. We need to work as a pair and score as high as possible," he said.

India's Zaheer Khan may not be fit to bowl further in this Test as the initial reports of cramp from the dressing room have given way to suspicions of a hamstring strain but Trott has no doubt that Indian left-arm seamer would be fit on Friday.

"I would not be worrying about Zaheer -- I would rather believe that he would be ready to be bowling tomorrow -- that's the way we prepare."

- 'Had Zaheer got three we'd have had a good day'

While admitting the conditions were testing on the first day at the Lord's, Trott didn't rule out the chance of the pitch easing out if the next four days are bright and sunny.

"It rained a lot last night and Lord's has been pretty much under cover for the last few days. Most teams would have chosen to bowl first for it can get better and stay quite flat."