England batsman Joe Root says he wasn't overly nervous while batting in his debut Test in Nagpur, and tried to focus on his feet and each delivery while facing the Indian bowlers in tricky conditions.

Root was the anchor of England's innings as they made 330 all out, and the rookie, who had been on the sidelines for the first three Tests on the tour, made 73 off 229 balls, resisting as others around him faltered.

Root was only told the day before the game that he would be playing, replacing Samit Patel in the middle order and pushing more senior players like Jonny Bairstow and Eoin Morgan into the background.

The 21-year-old said of the call-up: "It was a little bit of a surprise. But I got myself into a good frame of mind once I found out and tried to get my head round it as quickly as I could. I was delighted to get the opportunity, and to score a few runs at the same time was a real good feeling.

"It would be wrong to say there are no nerves when you're waiting to bat in Test cricket for the first time, but I've got a great team around me who were very encouraging and helpful.

"Once I got in the middle I was quite relaxed."

Root showed composure and maturity beyond his years, and when asked what advice he'd been given as he walked out to the middle, he replied: "More than anything, it was just to keep your foot movements very precise and very quick and just grind it out.

"The guys who had gone in before said it was tough out there and it was quite a defensive field, so it wasn't fast scoring. It was about getting your bearings and being patient. You just try to adapt to the conditions and the situation."

One imagines a dream debut would be to score a century in your opening knock, but Root wasn't overly disappointed to miss out on his ton, saying it would only spur him on if given another opportunity.

The Yorkshireman said: Thinking about it now, that's what you dream of as a kid going through your career. It just makes you more determined if you get another opportunity to make the most of it."