IND vs ENG 3rd Test: Jaiswal's double ton helps India to register their biggest test win in Rajkot

India’s Yashasvi Jaiswal (left) celebrates his double century against England at Rajkot yesterday. Pic/AFP

On a dramatic day when Yashasvi Jaiswal became only the third Indian to get back-to-back double centuries in Test cricket, Team India wrapped up their biggest win in terms of runs (434) in the third Test against England at Rajkot to go 2-1 up in the five-match series.

It was an abject surrender by the beleaguered England team as they could barely last 39.4 overs and were all out for 122, requiring a mammoth 557 for an improbable win. There is no doubt that the result was a foregone conclusion the way the Indians had dominated, but nobody expected England to come crashing down in such a tame manner. The team that prides itself in playing positive cricket, were neither here nor there. Neither could they defend long enough nor display the much-touted aggressive batting, termed Bazball. At one time, they were in danger of being bundled out for under 100 for the second time on Indian soil had it not been for Mark Wood, who use the long handle to collect a quick 33 - the highest of the innings - that helped the visitors to avoid the ignominy of being bowled out under the three-figure mark.

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Jadeja is Player of the Match

Local lad Ravindra Jadeja was the star performer, grabbing his 13th five-wicket haul in Test. He finished with five for 41 to add to his century in the first innings. He was named the Player of the Match. Kuldeep Yadav was again impressive, claiming two valuable wickets. However, the game was memorable as well as dramatic for Ravichandran Ashwin who, after grabbing his 500th Test wicket in the first innings, had to rush off to Chennai to be with his ailing mother and returned to Rajkot on a charter flight provided by the BCCI, to claim one wicket in the six overs he bowled in the second innings.

England's problems started on a hot day when the Indian batters first ground their bowling to dust to notch up 430 for four declared with Jaiswal unbeaten on 214 and another Mumbaikar, Sarfaraz Khan on 68, his second half-century in his debut match.

Toiling in the sun took a mental toll on the England players and they seemed in no mood for a fight. Although it was the efficient bowling unit that got Team India the victory, the spadework was done by the young batters, who made the England players toil right through the afternoon. Skipper Rohit Sharma was also in no hurry to declare the innings early and waited for Jaiswal to complete his second successive double century.

Gill misses ton

Jaiswal had retired hurt on the third day due to back spasms and was fit enough to return to the crease after the dismissal of Shubman Gill, run out for 91. The young Punjab batter deserved a century, but was run out in a mix-up with nightwatchman Kuldeep Yadav.

Jaiswal's 214 off 236 balls had as many as 12 sixes, equalling Wasim Akram's Test record of 12 big hits in an innings when the latter hit a double century against Zimbabwe. Jaiswal also joined Vinod Kambli and Virat Kohli as the only Indian batter to score double centuries in successive Test matches.

Sarfaraz also got enough time to notch up his second half-century on debut. He was run out for 62 in the first innings and remained not out on 68 in the second, showing he has talent and temperament galore to be a part of the Indian team.

As the teams move to Ranchi for the fourth Test (February 23-27), the Indian team management would be keen to wrap up the series there itself before going to Dharamshala for the concluding Test (March 7-11).

545
Total runs by Yashasvi Jaiswal so far is the most by an Indian left-handed batsman in a Test series

Brief scores
India 445 & 430-4 decl (Y Jaiswal 214', S Gill 91, S Khan 68') beat England 319 & 122 (M Wood 33; R Jadeja 5-41) by 434 runs

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