India achieved a significant win over England on the fourth day of the third Test in Rajkot, gaining a 2-1 advantage in the five-match series. With a challenging target of 557 runs, England struggled greatly, yielding to the persistent pressure from India's strong bowling lineup.
The English batters faced a formidable challenge right from the outset, and their second innings unfolded as a tale of struggle and collapse. Ravindra Jadeja emerged as the chief tormentor, showcasing his mastery with the ball by claiming a magnificent five-wicket haul, finishing with figures of 5/41. His precision and variation proved too much for the English batters to handle, as wickets tumbled quickly.
Adding to England's misery, Kuldeep Yadav also made significant contributions with the ball, snaring two crucial wickets to dent further their hopes of staging a comeback. With relentless pressure mounting from both ends, England's batting lineup crumbled under India's relentless onslaught.
England's pursuit of the challenging target began under unfortunate circumstances, as their top order encountered early setbacks. The first setback occurred with Ben Duckett's dismissal, a centurion in the first innings, falling prey to a precise run-out by Mohammed Siraj and Dhruv Jurel. The pressure intensified as Jasprit Bumrah took Zak Crawley's wicket LBW, putting England in a difficult position at 18/2 before tea.
Following the interval, Ravindra Jadeja once again demonstrated his bowling skills by taking three crucial wickets to diminish England's chances of a successful chase. Ollie Pope, Jonny Bairstow, and Joe Root, England's key batters, succumbed to Jadeja's accuracy and cleverness, leaving the visiting team in a precarious situation.
England's skipper, Ben Stokes, and Rehan Ahmed endeavored to stabilize the innings. Yet, their endeavors were short-lived, as Kuldeep Yadav swiftly dismissed Stokes and Ahmed without yielding additional runs. England was confronted with a dire situation as the innings started to unravel.
A brief partnership between Tom Hartley and Ben Foakes brought a ray of hope for England, accumulating 32 runs for the eighth wicket. Nevertheless, Jadeja reentered the attack and promptly halted Foakes' resilience, extinguishing any remaining aspirations of a remarkable resurgence for the visiting team.
Ravichandran Ashwin made a remarkable comeback to the team after a brief absence due to a medical emergency. He successfully clean-bowled Tom Hartley, securing India's ninth wicket with England still lagging in runs. This set the stage for Ravindra Jadeja to complete his five-wicket haul by dismissing Mark Wood, who had valiantly scored 33 runs off just 15 deliveries, ultimately leading India to victory.
India showcased impressive batting skills as they resumed their overnight score of 196/2, with Shubman Gill and Kuldeep Yadav at the crease. Gill fell short of a century at 91 due to a miscommunication with Kuldeep. Following Gill's dismissal, Yashasvi Jaiswal, who had retired hurt on day three after scoring a century due to back spasms, returned to the batting crease.
Kuldeep's departure was followed shortly by the debutant Sarfaraz Khan to partner with Jaiswal. The pair demonstrated impressive resilience, forming an unbeaten 172-run partnership for the fifth wicket before skipper Rohit Sharma declared India's second innings at 430/4 just before tea on Sunday. Jaiswal finished unbeaten on a magnificent 214, achieving his second double-century in consecutive matches, while Sarfaraz Khan displayed his skills with an undefeated 68
Following India's dominant victory in the third Test, all eyes are now on the fourth Test of the series, which is set to be held in Ranchi starting on Friday, February 23, as India seeks to uphold their momentum and secure the series title.
Edited by: Kaiyah Ellison
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