Picture : BCCI/ X
Yashasvi Jaiswal’s sensational double hundred found harmonious co-existence with the stunning craftiness of five-wicket man Ravindra Jadeja as ruthless India demolished wasteful England by a record 434 runs on the fourth day of the third Test in Rajkot. India, now, lead the five-match series 2-1.
England resisted their desire to play ‘Bazball’ but the Indian bowlers led by Jadeja (5/41) were an irresistible force, as they hustled out the tourists for 122 in their second innings while chasing an improbable 557-run target.
This was also India’s biggest win in Test cricket in terms of runs, bettering the previous 372-run win over New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in 2021.
Jaiswal’s unbeaten 214 off 236 balls, in which he equalled the highest number of sixes (12) in a Test innings, was the cornerstone of India’s second innings total of 430 for four declared, which gave them a massive lead of 556 runs earlier in the day.
🚨 𝙍𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝘼𝙡𝙚𝙧𝙩! 🚨
With a winning margin of 434 runs in Rajkot, #TeamIndia register their biggest Test victory ever 👏🔝
A historic win courtesy of some memorable performances 👌👌
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/FM0hVG5X8M#INDvENG | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/nXbjlAYq7K
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 18, 2024
But before Jadeja and his horsemen of apocalypse ran through England, Jaiswal and debutant Sarfaraz Khan showcased their brilliance in no little measure.
Shubman Gill too displayed his class with a 91 after India resumed the fourth day from 196 for two. The knock combined with his hundred in the previous Test might have brought him considerable time and confidence.
Sarfaraz too gave a shining portent with two fifties in his maiden Test.
It was also a perfect platform for Jadeja to weave his magic as England’s claims of fancying themselves in big chases through an aggressive approach came to nothing.
India’s plan of attacking the wickets took the wind away from the sails of England, whose top order crumbled without any significant contribution.
With Jadeja finding ample support from Kuldeep Yadav (2/19), Jasprit Bumrah (1/18) and Ravichandran Ashwin (1/19), who rejoined the match on this day after attending a medical emergency at home, England found no way out.
Ben Duckett (4) ran himself out, Zak Crawley (11) was trapped leg-before by Bumrah and Jadeja struck twice in quick succession to see the back of Ollie Pope (3) and extended Jonny Bairstow’s (4) misery on this tour.
Struggling desperately for runs on this tour, Bairstow was trapped leg-before while trying to sweep Jadeja.
England’s hero of the win in the first Test, Pope cut one straight to Rohit Sharma at first slip as Jadeja shook their top-order.
After a brief period of resistance, Joe Root (7) missed a sweep with the umpire declaring him out leg-before off Jadeja, and the replays confirmed that the ball would have flicked the top of off-stump.
Captain Ben Stokes (15) had a similar fate, missing a sweep off Kuldeep Yadav as England slumped to 50 for six.
For a while, it seemed England would fold for one of their lowest-ever totals against India, but a late burst from Mark Wood (33, 15 balls, 6x4s, 1x6s) took them to 122 from 82 for eight.
