Team India registered their biggest victory in Test cricket in terms of runs as they defeated England by 434 runs on the 4th day of the third India versus England Test being played at Rajkot's Niranjan Shah Stadium.
Riding on Ravindra Jadeja's five-wicket haul, the hosts dismissed the visitors for a mere 122 runs. With this triumph, India has taken a commanding 2-1 lead in the ongoing five-match Test series.
It was another day of domination for India, where Yashasvi Jaiswal scored a phenomenal unbeaten double-century, the second of his Test career, while Shubman Gill (91) and Sarfaraz Khan (68 not out) made fifties as the hosts declared their second innings on 430/4, giving England a massive target of 557.
India registered their biggest ever Test victory in terms of runs as they beat England by 434 runs.
Image: Sportzpics
In reply, England crumbled under the pressure of runs and were all out for 122, with Jadeja taking 5-41 as India registered their biggest win by runs in Tests to go 2-1 up in the five-match series. From 33/3 on Day One, India have now gone on to win at Rajkot with a day to spare. It is also England’s second-biggest defeat in Tests, with their implosion coming under the bright sunshine of Rajkot.
Chasing 557, England were off to a watchful start, in complete opposite of their aggressive nature. Zak Crawley took two boundaries but was involved in a horrible mix-up as Ben Duckett went in pursuit of a single after pushing the ball to mid-wicket.
Crawley sent Duckett back, but it was too late as Mohammed Siraj fired in a throw and wicket-keeper Dhurv Jurel rushed towards the stumps and collected the ball in motion to break the stumps quickly. At the stroke of tea, Crawley was trapped LBW by Jasprit Bumrah by a sharp nip-backer, which England couldn’t overturn on review.
Yashasvi Jaiswal celebrates his double century during the fourth day of the 3rd Test match between India and England held at the Niranjan Shah Stadium Rajkot on 18 February 2024
Image: Sportzpics
Post-tea, England continued to fall like nine pins. Ollie Pope tried a cut shot off Jadeja but was caught at first slip. Jonny Bairstow tried to sweep off Jadeja but was trapped plumb LBW. Joe Root battled for 40 balls before missing Jadeja on the sweep and was trapped LBW. Capitan Ben Stokes was beaten on the sweep against Kuldeep Yadav and became the third batter in the innings to be trapped LBW. Rehan Ahmed went for a big shot down the ground off Kuldeep but found long-on.
Ben Foakes and Tom Hartley put some resistance with a 32-run standoff 67 balls for the eighth wicket, but the former gave a thick edge on a cut to an impressive Jurel behind the stumps. Ravichandran Ashwin came back to take Tom Hartley’s inside edge to the stumps and Jadeja ended the match by ending Mark Wood’s cameo of 33 off 15 balls when the batter holed out to long-off to complete a dominating win for India.
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