The India cricket team has produced one of their best days ever in Test cricket. Having already started the day with a gigantic 322-run lead in the IND vs ENG 3rd Test, Rohit Sharma and Co. piled on the pain with both the bat and ball. Having set a mammoth 557-run target thanks to Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sarfaraz Khan, it was then the Indian bowler’s turn to torment the Bazballers.
Birth for future superstars: Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sarfaraz Khan’s memorable day
Having already gained a huge advantage in the India vs England 3rd Test, Jaiswal and Sarfaraz were adamant about getting India to a place where there was no chance for England to come back. Both ended their innings unbeaten, with Jaiswal scoring consecutive double-centuries in Vizag and Rajkot. Meanwhile, Sarfaraz became just the fourth Indian to make fifty or more scores in each inning on his Test debut.
However, the most memorable moment of their partnership was Jaiswal’s onslaught against James Anderson. The aggressive opener smoked three consecutive sixes to one of the greatest fast bowlers and showed the extent of his talent. However, it was Sarfaraz who ended India’s second innings on a high by smashing 17 runs off the last five balls of the inning to Rehan Ahmed.
Bazball, nowhere to be found
Amid all the talks about England’s aggressive playing style and its influence on others, no English batter seemed to be in the mood to go after the Indian bowlers. Apart from Jonny Bairstow, who played just 4 balls, no English top or middle batter had a strike rate of more than 60.
With the target set at 557, Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley seemed tentative, and Ollie Pope looked jittery during his short stay. Joe Root played an excruciating 40-ball 7-run knock, while Ben Stokes made just 15 off 39 balls. For all the talks of their intent, when the chips were against them, England batters crumbled like they had on their last tour to India in 2021.
No English batter stood any chance against the Indian bowlers as Ravindra Jadeja ripped through the English middle order. He then returned to finish things off and ended the match with a 5-wicket haul and a hundred to his name, as India recorded their biggest-ever win (434 runs).
IND vs ENG 3rd Test: Brief Scores
India 1st inning: 445/10 (Rohit Sharma 131, Ravindra Jadeja 112; Mark Wood 4/114, Rehan Ahmed 2/85)
England 1st inning: 319/10 (Ben Duckett 153, Ben Stokes 41; Mohammed Siraj 4/84, Ravindra Jadeja 2/51)
India 2nd inning: 430/4 d (Yashasvi Jaiswal 214, Shubman Gill 91; Tom Hartley 1/78, Rehan Ahmed 1/108)
England 2nd inning: 122/10 (Mark Wood 26, Ben Foakes 16,; Ravindra Jadeja 4/41, Kuldeep Yadav 2/19)
IND vs ENG 3rd Test: Playing XIs
India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (c), Ben Foakes (wk), Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, Mark Wood, James Anderson.
