IND Vs ENG 3rd Test HIGHLIGHTS: India beat England by 434 runs in the third Test of the five-match series at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot on Sunday. As a result of the win, India have gone 2-1 in the five-match series with two Test matchs to go. Ravindra Jadeja's all-round performance laid the foundation for what turned out to be India's biggest win by margin of runs. Not only did Jadeja score a superb hundred in the first innings but returned to scalp a fifer in the final innings of the match.
India won the toss and elected to bat first in Rajkot. However, it wasn't the best of starts to the match for the Indian batting unit as they were reduced to 33/3. It was there that a match-changing partnership between captain Rohit Sharma and Jadeja (112) developed. The duo added 204 runs for the fourth wicket with both batters eventually scoring a hundred. Rohit ultimately fell for 131 off 196 before debutant Sarfaraz Khan played a blinder of a knock before a run out ended Sarfaraz's first international outing for 62 off 66.
India eventually ended up scoring 445 in the first innings. However, that did not seem too much at one stage especially after the way Ben Duckett aided England to a brisk start. He scored an 88-ball to as England finished Day 2 at 207/2. Later that night, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced that Ravichandran Ashwin withdrew himself with immediate effect due to a family health emergency, meaning India were a bowler short after the off -spinner reached his 500-wicket milestone earlier in the day.
IND vs ENG 3rd Test: No Ashwin, No Problem
However, it was a case of no Ashwin, no problem for the rest of the Indian bowlers with Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah getting wickets for the hosts early on Day 3, including that of Duckett who fell for 153 off 151. Later, it was Mohammed Siraj's magic coupled with Jadeja's spell that helped India take a 126-run first innings lead which was decisive in the way the match shaped up. Siraj finished with figures of 4/84 while Jadeja chipped in with a couple of wickets as England were bowled out for 319.
In the second innings, Jaiswal equalled the world record of most sixes in a Test innings as he scored a double hundred (214*). He already has the Indian record of most sixes in a bilateral series with 2 Test matches to go and looks set to add a few more to the tally. Shubman Gill scored 91 and Sarfaraz Khan 68* as India declared for 430/4, setting the Three Lions a target of 557.
Even though Ashwin returned in time for the second innings, Jadeja's fifer stole the show as India bowled England out for 122 in the second innings with Ashwin adding a wicket to his tally and Kuldeep getting two. Of the remaining two wickets, one was a run out thanks to Mohammed Siraj and a brilliant bit of glovework from Dhruv Jurel while the other fell to Jasprit Bumrah.
The fourth Test between India and England will be played at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi from February 23.