 "India beat England by 434 runs to win third Test, take 2-1 series lead")
India registered a comprehensive 434 run victory over England in the third Test in Rajkot on Sunday. With the massive win, India lead the five-match series 2-1.
This is biggest win in terms of runs in their history, surpassing the 372-run victory over New Zealand in 2021.
Meanwhile, England registered their second biggest defeat at the same time. England’s biggest defeat, 563 runs, came at the hands of longtime rivals Australia in 1934. But the defeat in Rajkot broke their previous second-highest of 425 runs against the West Indies in 1976.
Set an improbable target of 557 runs, England collapsed to 122 all out on day four. Ravindra Jadeja was the pick of the bowlers for India, taking five wickets for 41 runs.
It was easily England’s worst batting effort in the series with no batter able to cross the 20-run mark barring number 10 Mark Wood (33).
On the same surface, India amassed 445 and 430/4 declared in their two innings respectively.
The massive win was set up by Yashasvi Jaiswal who remained unbeaten on 214 in India’s second innings. The other centurions in the game were Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja. Sarfaraz Khan scored back-to-back fifties on his debut.
Jaiswal’s unbeaten 214, in which he equalled the highest number of sixes (12) in a Test innings, was the cornerstone of India’s second innings total of 430/4 declared, which gave them a massive lead of 556 runs.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsIt was also a perfect platform for Jadeja to weave his magic as England’s claims of fancying themselves in big chases through an aggressive approach came to nothing.
India’s plan of attacking the wickets took the wind away from the sails of England, whose top order crumbled without any significant contribution.
With Jadeja finding ample support from Kuldeep Yadav (2/19), Jasprit Bumrah (1/18) and Ravichandran Ashwin (1/19), who rejoined the match after attending a medical emergency at home, England found no way out.
The fourth Test will be played in Ranchi from February 23.
(with inputs from PTI)
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
