Cricket: England stunned in Rajkot as India take 2-1 series lead

Yashasvi Jaiswal etched his name in the annals of cricket history over the weekend, becoming only the third Indian batsman to score double hundreds in consecutive Test matches as the host nation claimed a resounding 434-run victory over England in Rajkot.

Jaiswal’s masterful innings of 214 not out, following his previous 209 in Visakhapatnam, propelled India to declare at 4-430 in their second innings, setting England an imposing target of 557 runs for victory.

The visiting side’s hopes were quickly dashed as they succumbed to India’s formidable bowling attack, collapsing for a mere 122 runs in just over one session.

Ravindra Jadeja emerged as the wrecker-in-chief, clinching a remarkable five-wicket haul while conceding only 41 runs as India took a 2-1 lead in the five-Test series.

Jaiswal’s scintillating partnership of 172 runs with Sarfaraz Khan, who notched up his second consecutive half-century in his debut match, showcased exceptional hitting prowess, propelling India to a rapid scoring rate of more than seven runs per over.

Jaiswal finished with 12 sixes — including a remarkable hat-trick off James Anderson — thus setting a new record for the most maximums hit by an Indian batter in a Test innings.

Facing a monumental task, England’s batting order floundered, and Zak Crawley (11) was the only player in the top five to reach double digits.

The tail offered some sort of resistance, with Mark Wood (33) top-scoring at number 10, but it was far too little as Jadeja — with assistance from fellow spinners Kuldeep Yadav (2-19) and Ravichandran Ashwin (1-16) — steered India to a famous victory on his home ground.

With his five-wicket haul adding to a superb century in the first innings, Jadeja was an obvious choice for player of the match.

“I was just looking to build partnerships with Rohit (Sharma), when we were in a difficult situation in the first innings,” he said.

“I try to watch the ball and play it accordingly.

“I know about this ground that it is always good to bat here first and then it spins in the second half of the match.

“You won’t get easy wickets and you have to earn them.”

The crushing defeat marked England’s second-largest margin of defeat by runs in Test cricket, underscoring India’s dominance on home soil.

“Sometimes gameplans don’t work and that was the case here,” England captain Ben Stokes said after the loss.

“We are 1-2 down in the series and it is a great opportunity for us to come back and win the series.

“We will leave this game behind, knowing we have to win two games to win it.”

The fourth Test in Ranchi begins this Friday, with the top cricket bookmakers installing India as firm favourites at -250 for the win.

England, meanwhile, are paying +333 with Marantelli Bet to level the series.

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