India have claimed a big victory over England in the third Test of the ongoing five-match Test series at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot.
On day four, India started 322 runs ahead of England, with Shubman Gill and Kuldeep Yadav in the middle. Once Gill was run out for 91, Yashasvi Jaiswal came out to resume his innings from 104, having retired hurt on day three.
Jaiswal and Mumbai teammate Sarfaraz Khan then took over, smashing the English bowlers to all parts and enabling Rohit Sharma to declare and set the visiors 557 to win. Jaiswal scored 214*, with Sarfaraz unbeaten on 68.
India were given an inroad in the fourth innings thanks to a mix-up between openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley. They went on to reduce England to 28/4 and 50/7, before bowling out the visitors for 122 to record their biggest-ever win by runs.
India vs England third Test DAY 4: Live updates, scores, teams and highlights
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4:48 PM - ENGLAND 122/10 - WICKET! Game over! Wood smashes this, but straight down to long-on where Yashasvi Jaiswal fittingly takes the catch. It's five for Jadeja as well. Mark Wood 33, James Anderson 1*.
4:33 PM - ENGLAND 91/9 - WICKET! Dragged on! Hartley goes big but just gets an inside edge onto his stumps, and Ashwin has a wicket for all the troubles he took to be back here. One wicket to go. Mark Wood 8*, Tom Hartley 16.
Last man in is James Anderson.
4:30 PM - ENGLAND 82/8 - WICKET! Foakes tries to cut Jadeja, but just gets an egde through to Dhruv Jurel behind the stumps. Play will be extended by half an hour now, and this match should be over soon. Ben Foakes 16, Tom Hartley 16*.
Mark Wood comes to the crease.
3:50 PM - ENGLAND 50/7 - WICKET! Rehan Ahmed tries to go big, but this one is skied in the air and Mohammed Siraj takes a good catch at long on. Second wicket for Kuldeep Yadav. Ben Foakes 0*, Rehan Ahmed 0.
In comes Tom Hartley.
3:41 PM - ENGLAND 50/6 - WICKET! Kuldeep Yadav in on the act now! Another batter, Stokes this time trying to sweep, and hit on the pads. He's given out and reviews, but three reds means he's gone. Ben Foakes 0*, Ben Stokes 15.
Rehan Ahmed is the new man in.
3:35 PM - ENGLAND 50/5 - WICKET! Another one for Jadeja! Root tries to sweep him from middle stump. There's an initial appeal for LBW, and then another one for caught as it balloons to Rohit Sharma. He's given out and reviews. No spike on UltraEdge, and he's rapped on the pad right on middle stump. Umpire's call on the stumps, so he has to go. Joe Root 7, Ben Stokes 15*.
In comes Ben Foakes.
2:48 PM - ENGLAND 28/4 - WICKET! Bairstow's gone, India are on a roll! Jadeja from round the wicket, and Bairstow tries to sweep but is hit on the back leg. It looks stone-dead, and England don't even bother reviewing. Joe Root 5*, Jonny Bairstow 4.
In walks Ben Stokes.
2:38 PM - ENGLAND 20/3 - WICKET! England are crumbling! Pope tries to cut Ravindra Jadeja, but the ball rushes him and takes the edge. Rohit Sharma holds on to a sharp catch at slip. Joe Root 1*, Ollie Pope 3.
Jonny Bairstow is the new batter.
2:30 PM - We're back for the final session of the day, and there's big news. India's lead spinner R Ashwin has returned to Rajkot, and has taken the field for the hosts. They need eight wickets to win, England need 539 runs. Joe Root is the new batter, joining Ollie Pope in the middle. Jasprit Bumrah to continue his over. Joe Root 0*, Ollie Pope 2*.
2:13 PM - ENGLAND 18/2 - WICKET! - TEA- One brings two for India! Angling in from Bumrah, this one catches Crawley on the knee-roll. Kumar Dharmasena took his time to raise the finger, crucially so as England's review reveals an umpire's call for hitting the stumps. That'll be tea as well. Zak Crawley 11, Ollie Pope 2*.
2:03 PM - ENGLAND 15/1 - WICKET! Disaster for England! Duckett tries to set off for a quick single, but is sent back by Crawley. He's too far down, and keeper Dhruv Jurel hares to the stumps to collect the throw and whip the bails off. Zak Crawley 11*, Ben Duckett 4.
In comes Ollie Pope.
1:31 PM - ENGLAND 0/0 - Here we go now. England will have 130 overs, give or take, to try and score 557 runs. India need 10 wickets. Jasprit Bumrah with the ball, Zak Crawley on strike. On a length outside off, left alone. Zak Crawley 0*, Ben Duckett 0*.
1:22 PM - INDIA 430/4 - DECLARATION - India captain Rohit Sharma holds his arms up and calls the batters in. It's been a whirlwind day, and now England have about four and a half sessions to try and chase down 557. Join us in 10 minutes for the start of the chase. Sarfaraz Khan 68*, Yashasvi Jaiswal 214*.
1:10 PM - INDIA 398/4 - DOUBLE CENTURY - And finally, there it is. Yashasvi Jaiswal knocks this into the offside, and both he and Sarfaraz hold their arm aloft for a special, special knock. Sarfaraz Khan 50*, Yashasvi Jaiswal 200*.
12:27 PM - INDIA 350/4: Jaiswal hits Anderson for three sixes in an over and propels India to 350 within 15 minutes after play resumed post-lunch. The youngster just toyed with a legendary pace bowler.
12:15 PM - INDIA 316/4: Jaiswal gets to his 150! What an innings from the batsman. He has come back after he retired hurt on Day 3 and has carried on in the same vein.
11:30 AM - INDIA 314/4 LUNCH: India lead by 440 runs at lunch. There have been quite a few partnerships for them and Rohit Sharma might look to post a lead of 500-550 before declaring. We will be back in 35 minutes.
10:53 AM - INDIA 258/4 WICKET! Yadav's watch comes to an end! The ball is steered straight to slip, and initially, it's thought to be a bump ball. However, Root, the fielder at slip, immediately throws the ball down after catching it, as it might have hurt his fingers. Umpire Joel Wilson consults with his colleagues, and upon review, it's confirmed that the ball came off the outside edge of the bat. Root's reaction, where he refrains from celebrating, suggests that the dismissal was obvious to him.
Sarfaraza Khan comes out to bat.
10:30 AM - INDIA 246/3 WICKET! Yadav's aggressive shot results in Shubman Gill attempting a single, but he's left stranded mid-pitch as there's no run available. Ben Stokes' swift throw to the wicketkeeper results in Gill's run-out just inches short of his century. He goes for 91 as Jaishwal is back on the crease after he retired hurt on Day 3.
10:10 AM - INDIA 230/2 - India are cruising against English bowlers in the first hour! They had little problem handling Hartley & Anderson and Gill on 85* should get his century.
9:30 AM - INDIA 196/2 - Gill & Kuldeep are in the middle as Hartley starts proceedings for England.
5:00 PM - INDIA 196/2 - STUMPS - That's the end of the day's play. Kuldeep Yadav blocks out the last delivery from Rehan Ahmed, and India will be very happy with how things have gone. They lead by 322, with seven wickets in hand. Kuldeep Yadav 3*, Shubman Gill 65*.
4:37 PM - INDIA 191/2 - WICKET! Patidar goes! In almost identical fashion to his first innings dismissal, the batter is too early through his pull shot against Tom Hartley, and hits it straight to midwicket! He has to go for a duck. Rajat Patidar 0, Shubman Gill 63*.
For the second time in this match, Kuldeep Yadav comes in as the nightwatchman.
4:37 PM - RETIRED HURT - Jaiswal has been struggling with his lower back for the last 15 minutes or so, and now it seems like too much for him to bear. He will retire hurt on 104, and can resume his innings at the fall of a wicket later on.
For now, Rajat Patidar has come to the crease.
4:07 PM - INDIA 158/1 - CENTURY - That's cut hard in front of square by Jaiswal, and he reaches three figures in style. He was watchful at the start, but has cut loose in the last hour or so, increasing India's lead in destructive fashion. Yashasvi Jaiswal 100*, Shubman Gill 34*.
3:30 PM - INDIA 116/1 - This has been some excellent play from the batters in the last half hour or so. Both have begun to play some more attacking shots, Jaiswal in particular flaying Anderson and Hartley in consecutive overs. India are on the charge now. Yashasvi Jaiswal 66*, Shubman Gill 26*.
3:00 PM - INDIA 67/1 - India have continued with their cautious approach. A batter down with a healthy lead and more than enough time left in this match, so they're in no rush and instead looking to stay out there and just punish the bad balls. Yashasvi Jaiswal 29*, Shubman Gill 18*.
2:30 PM - INDIA 45/1 - Here comes the final session on day three. A good performance with the bat could see the hosts take the game away, but an English fightback could tip the scales dramatically in their favour. Jaiswal on strike, facing Mark Wood. Knocked into the offside for a single. Yashasvi Jaiswal 20*, Shubman Gill 5*.
2:10 PM - INDIA 44/1 - TEA - Jaiswal and Gill have taken India to tea. In an ideal world, India would not want to be one down, especially with only 10 players batting. However, the lead is now 170 and they have the chance to bat England out of this match if they make it big. Yashasvi Jaiswal 19*, Shubman Gill 5*.
1:53 PM - INDIA 30/1 - WICKET! Joe Root strikes for England! Round the wicket, and Rohit tries to sweep this one. He misses and is struck on the pad. Given not out on field, but Joel Wilson is forced to overturn his decision after an England review. Yashasvi Jaiswal 10*, Rohit Sharma 19.
Shubman Gill is the new batter.
1:35 PM - INDIA 22/0 - Jaiswal has taken a relatively patient approach to the innings so far, while Rohit Sharma has shown a bit of early intent. These two will be aiming to take the innings to tea without losing a wicket. Yashasvi Jaiswal 8*, Rohit Sharma 13*.
1:03 PM - INDIA 0/0 - India will be very happy with their performance so far, especially in the absence of R Ashwin. Now time for the batters to take up the mantle and press home the advantage. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma are in the middle, with James Anderson taking the new ball. Well left outside off stump. Yashasvi Jaiswal 0*, Rohit Sharma 0*.
12:53 PM - ENGLAND 319/10 - WICKET! Siraj dismissed James Anderson, clean bowling him to end England's first innings. The delivery was pitched up full and angled into the off-stump from around the wicket. Anderson, attempting to defend from his crease, failed to move his feet effectively, resulting in the ball sneaking past the outside edge and crashing into the off-stump.
12:47 PM - ENGLAND 314/9 - WICKET! Jadeja gets Hartley as the batsman completely missed to get his bat to the ball and Jurel did the rest behind the stumps. The delivery was a flat-length ball, slightly outside off-stump. Hartley, attempting to advance down the pitch, misjudged the shot and failed to connect with his angled bat. Consequently, the ball passed through to Dhruv Jurel behind the stumps, who promptly removed the bails, completing his first stumping in international cricket.
12:45 PM - ENGLAND 314/8 - WICKET! Siraj delivered a stunning yorker to dismiss Rehan Ahmed, clean-bowled. The delivery was full and tailing back into the off-stump, catching Rehan Ahmed slightly late in bringing his bat down. As a result, the ball sneaked through under the toe end and crashed into the base of the off-stump. He goes for 13 as Mark Wood comes to the crease.
12:25 PM - ENGLAND 299/7 - WICKET! Siraj strikes with a brilliant delivery to dismiss Ben Foakes who was on 13. A full delivery shaping into the middle, causing Foakes to mistime his shot as the ball stopped on him slightly. Foakes ends up chipping it straight to Rohit Sharma, who is perfectly positioned to take the catch. It is a well-set trap by the Indian team and they now smell blood as the visitors lose their seventh. Rehan Ahmed is the new man in the middle.
12:24 PM - ENGLAND 299/6 - WICKET! Jadeja provides a crucial breakthrough for India as he gets the wicket of Stokes. The England skipper attempted a hefty slog-sweep but failed to connect cleanly, sending the ball high into the air. Fortunately for India, Jasprit Bumrah was perfectly stationed at mid-on and had to retreat slightly before securing the catch. He goes for 41 and Hartley walks out from the dressing room.
12:10 PM - ENGLAND 290/5 - Siraj gets to start proceedings after lunch.
11:30 AM - ENGLAND 290/5 - LUNCH: India had a remarkable session, especially considering the absence of Ashwin. Kuldeep Yadav emerged as a standout performer, showcasing brilliance by taking two crucial wickets out of the three that fell. Bumrah also contributed significantly by dismissing Joe Root once again. Siraj provided excellent support to Bumrah, maintaining tight lines and utilizing reverse swing effectively. Although Jadeja only bowled one over, the trio of Yadav, Bumrah, and Siraj dominated the session for India. Root's dismissal, attempting a reverse-lap shot straight to slip, was a notable moment, highlighting England's struggles. Bairstow fell victim to a good delivery, while Duckett succumbed to a loose, short, and wide ball. Despite England's resilience, with Stokes still at the crease, India holds the advantage with a 155-run lead.
10:44 AM - ENGLAND 260/5 - WICKET! Kuldeep strikes again! bowled a short and wide ball, well outside the off-stump, which should have been an easy scoring opportunity for Duckett. However, Duckett reached for the ball and attempted to cut it, but unfortunately for him, he only managed to find Shubman Gill at cover. He goes for 153 and Ben Foakes is the new man in the middle.
10:30 AM - ENGLAND 247/4 - An exhilarating first hour of play comes to an end. Duckett has gone past the 150-mark but this first hour has belonged to India. They have got two crucial wickets to get back into the game and England look somewhat in damage control mode after losing Root & Bairstow cheaply.
9:58 AM - ENGLAND 225/4 - WICKET! Kuldeep sees the back of Bairstow! The spinner pitched the ball outside off, giving it ample flight and landing it on a good length. The ball gripped the surface and turned sharply, catching Bairstow off guard. Bairstow, anticipating less turn, was caught pressing back, and the sharp turn beat his bat completely. The ball struck him on the pads just below the knee roll, leaving him plumb in front of the stumps. India's prolonged appeal reflected their confidence, and despite Bairstow opting for a review, all three reds on the ball-tracker confirmed his dismissal. Bairstow goes for a duck which brings out Ben Stokes from the pavilion.
9:50 AM - ENGLAND 224/3 - WICKET! Bumrah strikes early! Root's struggle for form persists as he attempted a reverse-lap shot off a full delivery just outside off stump. While Root frequently employs this shot, today it didn't connect well, resulting in an edge. The ball swiftly flew towards the second slip, where Jaiswal managed to react quickly despite a slight fumble, securing a crucial breakthrough for India early in the day. He departs for 18 as Bairstow is the new man in the middle.
9:30 AM - ENGLAND 207/2 - PLAY STARTS ON DAY 3: Bumrah starts proceedings for India with Duckett and Pope at the crease.
17:11 PM- ENGLAND 207/2 - END OF DAY 2! What a day of cricket. First Indian tailenders made sure that India go past the 400-run mark. Then Ben Duckett hit a quickfire century as England ended the day's play at 207 for the loss of two wickets in 35 overs.
17:01 PM: ENGLAND 202/2 - England have well and truly deployed the Bazball tactics in Rajkot having gone past the 200-run mark in less than 35 overs. Ben Duckett is in scintillating form having scored the third fastest century against India in history.
15:03 PM: ENGLAND 90/1 - WICKET! R. Ashwin picks up his 500th Test wicket as Zack Crawley departs for 15 runs. Milestone unlocked!
14:15 PM: ENGLAND 31/0 - At Tea. England openers have managed to put up 31 runs after the first six overs as the second session of Day 2 concludes.
13:33 PM: INDIA 445/10 - WICKET! Jaspirt Bumrah bites the dust as India are bowled out for 445 runs. Amazing effort by the Indian tailenders.
12:54 PM: INDIA 415/9 - WICKET! Jurel goes after he edges Rehan to Foakes. An attempted cut short but he failed to middle it and the keeper takes a good low catch. He goes for 46 as No. 11 Mohammed Siraj comes out to bat.
12:41 PM: INDIA 408/8 - WICKET! Ashwin goes for 37 as he fails to clear mid-on. He danced down the track to hit Rehan for a maximum but mistimed his shot to get caught by Anderson. There was a wobble from the pacer but he holds on to the ball in the second attempt.
12:28 PM: INDIA 400/7 - India bring up their 400 courtesy of some gutsy batting from Ashwin & Jurel. The pair have been slow & steady in their approach and the next milestone should be getting 450 on this pitch which hardly has any demons in it.
12:05 PM: INDIA 388/7 - We are back after lunch with Mark Wood ready to start proceedings in the second session of Day 2.
11:30 AM: INDIA 388/7 - LUNCH on Day 2: Jurel & Ashwin have weathered the early storm and have looked solid since the departure of Jadeja & Kuldeep. India have been cautious with their approach as they have added just 62 runs in the morning session. They should go past 400 and if the pair continues to bat in the second session then India could even knock on the doors of 450! Stay tuned and we will be back for the second session in around 40 minutes.
11:00 AM: India penalised five runs by umpire Joel Wilson after Ashwin ran down the wicket!
10:23 AM: INDIA 352/7- 350 comes up for India - The hosts have not had much joy so far in the morning but a fine boundary from Ashwin of Anderson brings up the 350. They need at least 50 more to reach a par score on this wicket. The more, the merrier!
9:52 AM: INDIA 331/7 - WICKET! JADEJA BITES THE DUST!! Jadeja's dismissal came early in the morning without adding much to his overnight score. The delivery was a full toss on middle, tempting Jadeja to play across the line towards the leg side. However, he closed the face of the bat a fraction too early, resulting in a leading edge. The ball turned just enough to catch the edge, popping straight back to Joe Root, who took the catch just in front of his face. The big fish is in the ag and England are in cruise control.
9:45 AM: INDIA 331/6 WICKET! Anderson gets Kuldeep. Edged and gone! The nightwatchman goes early after he edges straight to Foakes.
5:02 PM: INDIA 326/5. STUMPS ON DAY 1 - India finish Day 1 on 326/5, thanks to centuries from Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja, as well as a splendid half-century from Sarfaraz Khan. After winning the toss, India opted to bat first in what was a good toss to win. However, the England bowlers, especially Mark Wood, made sure that India didn't get an easy start. Wood dismissed Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill early on, with Tom Hartley scalping Rajat Patidar's wicket to leave India struggling at 33/3. From there on, it was the Hitman-Sir Jadeja special as the duo stitched together a 204-run partnership for the 4th wicket to revive the innings. Wood dismissed Rohit on 131, but debutant Sarfaraz batted as if he had been batting for India in the middle-order for years, scoring an ice-cold 62 off just 66 runs. An unfortunate run out cut short his innings, but Jadeja continued to thrive and brought up his fourth hundred in Tests. Kuldeep Yadav joined him as the night watchman and ensured that India didn't suffer any further as the hosts put on 326/5 at the close of play on Day 1. See you tomorrow for another riveting day of Test cricket tomorrow!
4:46 PM: INDIA 315/5, HUNDRED FOR RAVINDRA JADEJA!!! It's his fourth century in Tests, and this has been one of the finest Test knocks by any Indian batsman in recent memory. It's a bittersweet moment, though, as he was the reason behind Sarfaraz's dismissal, but there will surely be relief for Jadeja after reaching the landmark. He will be the key to helping India cross 400 runs in the 1st innings.
4:44 PM: INDIA 314/5, WICKET!!! It's a terrible way for Sarfaraz's innings to end as he has been run out at the non-striker's end. Jadeja nudged the delivery towards mid-on and called for a run, but then denied. It was too late till then as Mark Wood's direct hit caught Sarfaraz well short of his crease. An unfortunate way for Sarfaraz to walk back, but a brilliant innings on debut nonetheless.
4:20 PM: INDIA 299/4, FIFTY FOR SARFARAZ KHAN ON DEBUT!!! Sarfaraz Khan has announced himself on international stage in a stellar manner, hitting a six and then taking a single to complete his half-century. And it has come in double quick time, with the debutant taking just 48 balls to reach the landmark. A proud moment for him and his family, and all the team members stand up to applaud the youngster. What a debut.
4:12 PM: INDIA 289/4, FIFTY PARTNERSHIP FOR THE 5TH WICKET - Debutant Sarfaraz Khan brings up the fifty-run partnership for the 5th wicket with a cracking boundary off Joe Root, following which the 26-year-old moved into his 40s. The debutant is looking quite confident out there in the middle, scoring almost 80% of the runs and making Rohit's dismissal seem like a distant memory.
3:23 PM: INDIA 237/4, WICKET! It's the big fish for England against the run of play as Rohit departs. The 204-run stand for the 4th wicket has finally been broken as Mark Wood continued his ploy of bowling short to the Indian captain. Rohit went for a big one, but completely mistimed it as his pull shot went straight into the hands of Ben Stokes, who was stationed at mid-wicket. A huge blow for India but end of an incredible innings from Rohit.
2:34 PM: INDIA 189/3. HUNDRED FOR ROHIT!!! - A captain's knock this from Rohit! He brings up his 11th Test century and finally breaks the streak of poor scores in red ball cricket. Having started the session on 97, it took the Indian skipper just three balls to reach the three-figure mark, and there's a lot of relief on his face. This has been one of his finer Test knocks, considering India were in danger of a collapse at 33/3. But he hung in and has found great support from Ravindra Jadeja at the other end. Rohit weathered the storm and has bore the fruits of his determination. He will hope to make it a daddy hundred now.
2:31 PM: INDIA 185/3, SESSION 3 BEGINS - The third and final session of Day 1 of the 3rd Test between India and England is about to begin. Rohit Sharma will be keen to start the session well as he is just three runs away from bringing his century. Jadeja, meanwhile, has supported the skipper ably, scoring 68 runs. India have the upper hand at the moment. Rehan Ahmed to bowl the first over. Can England claw their way back into the game?
2:11 PM: INDIA 185/3, TEA - An outstanding session for the hosts as they head into the final session of Day 1 of the 3rd Test in a much more commanding position. Jadeja (68*) and Rohit (97*) have steadied the ship and ensured that India do not let go of the advantage that they got after winning the toss and choosing to bat first. It's the first time in this series that a session has gone wicketless, and India certainly wouldn't have asked for more after reeling at 33/3 earlier in the day.
1:38 PM: INDIA 148/3 - FIFTY FOR RAVINDRA JADEJA! This has been a fabulous innings from Jadeja on his home ground, coming in at No.5 when India were in desperate need of a messiah. The No.1 all-rounder in Tests put a prize on his wicket while also adopting a counter-attacking approach to release the pressure, resulting in a beautiful partnership with skipper Rohit Sharma. He will be hoping to turn this start into a big score now.
1:13 PM: INDIA 133/3 - The 100-run partnership between Rohit and Jadeja is up. This has been a brilliant stand between the two seniors of this inexperienced Indian batting side as India were reduced to 33/3 after winning the toss and opting to bat first. Rohit looks well settled and has entered his 70s, while Jadeja is nearing a well-deserved half-century. Can the duo keep going for another 20-25 overs, or will Stokes and Co. find a way to wrestle back the control they had in the opening hour today?
12:15 PM: INDIA 100/3 - The 100 comes up for India in the first over after lunch. The ball is nicely coming onto the bat and both Rohit & Jadeja are playing each ball to its merit. Wood & Hartley with the ball for England.
11:30 AM: INDIA 93/3, LUNCH - Rohit is leading from the front as he remains unbeaten on 52. The Indian skipper must score big if the team needs to put a respectable total on this flat track. It has been a good recovery for India as Rohit & Jadeja have stitched a 61-run partnership after losing three quick wickets. Join us in 40 minutes for the second session on Day Two. The fightback is on!
10:55 AM: INDIA 56/3 - The English bowlers are completely on top. Anderson is asking really tough questions to Rohit and the Indian skipper has looked ill at ease. He is just biding his time on the crease and wants to weather the storm as safely as possible.
10:16 AM: INDIA - 33/3 - WICKET! Patidar goes for 5 as Hartley strikes in his first over. He cannot handle the bounce and the ball pops up in the air after hitting the bottom part of the bat. Ravindra Jadeja is promoted up the order ahead of Sarfaraz Khan.
9:59 AM: INDIA - 24/2 - WICKET! Wood grabs his second as Gill goes without scoring. A top delivery and the Indian batsman edges it to the keeper. England are on top in the first session on Day One. Rajat Patidar is the new man in.
9:49 AM: INDIA 22/1 - WICKET! Wood strikes as Jaiswal edges it to first slip. He has thrown away his wicket on a flat track. he goes for 10 as Shubman Gill walks out in the middle.
9: 30 AM: INDIA 0/0 - Rohit Sharma & Yashasvi Jaiswal are in the middle and Jimmy Anderson gets the new ball.
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Congratulations Dhruv Jurel & Sarfaraz Khan 👏👏
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England Playing XI: 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 Jonny Bairstow, 6 Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Ben Foakes (wk), 8 Rehan Ahmed, 9 Tom Hartley, 10 Mark Wood, 11 James Anderson
India Playing XI 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3 Shubman Gill, 4 Rajat Patidar, 5 Sarfaraz Khan, 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 Dhruv Jurel (wk), 8 R Ashwin, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Mohammed Siraj
Ben Stokes: We would've batted first too. Time flies when you're having fun. Fair reflection of both teams, we've been very happy with the way we've gone about things in the first two Tests. We had a nice break, gave everyone a chance to relax. There was no cricket, we got the families out, it was great. Being here for so long is both physically and mentally demanding. Was a nice opportunity to put the feet up and get some time away from cricket.
Rohit Sharma: We're going to bat first. We've made some changes, made four changes. Some injuries and some guys coming back from the last game. Two debutants. Siraj and Jadeja are back. Axar Patel and Mukesh Kumar miss out. Looks a good pitch, better than the last two we've played on. Rajkot is known to be a good pitch but it'll deteriorate as it goes.
TOSS: India have won the toss and have opted to bat
Pitch report by Deep Dasgupta and Nick Knight: Looks an absolutely fantastic surface. A little bit two-toned, some dry cracks near the wickets but as we move down, there’s a nice covering of grass and it’s hard. There’s a green tinge, enough in the surface for the quicks. Little bit of rough outside the stumps but not much for the spinners - at least in the first couple of days. There’s some moisture as we go towards the business parts of the pitch. There are cracks but they might not really open up soon. Great batting surface. The grass might help the seamers early on and an aggressive captain might bowl first. Day 2 and 3 will be great to bat on.
Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot: Pitch Report
The Rajkot pitch is usually conducive to batting during the early stages of the game, with spinners coming into play due to the wear and tear on offer off the pitch as the game progresses into Days 3, 4, and 5. According to a BCCI source, as quoted by TOI, "The Indian team management is comfortable with a slow turner. They don't want a raging turner."
2483 runs have been scored here across seven innings, with 58 wickets falling. This shows that for every wicket taken, 43 runs have been scored at this venue, further proving that the pitch is ideal for batsmen.
Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium: Average scores and toss results in Tests
| Average first innings score in Rajkot | 593 |
| Matches won by team batting first | 1 |
| Matches won by chasing team | 0 |
*one game ended in a draw
What happened in the previous Test match at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium?
The previous Test match in Rajkot was played between India and West Indies in October 2018.
Batting first, India posted a mammoth 649-run total on the board, thanks to centuries from Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, and debutant Prithvi Shaw.
In reply, West Indies were skittled out for just 181 runs, which led to Kohli enforcing the folllow-on. Trailing by 468 runs to save the Test match, the spinners picked all 10 wickets in the 2nd innings as Windies scored just 196 runs.
What is the highest score by a team at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium?
India's total of 649-9 declared in the 1st innings against West Indies in 2018 is the highest team total registered in a Test in Rajkot.
hat is the highest individual score at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium?
Virat Kohli scored 139 runs off 230 balls as India posted 649-9 declared against West Indies in October 2018. Kohli's knock is the highest individual score at the venue in Tests.
What are the best bowling figures in an innings at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium?
Kuldeep Yadav's figures of 5-57 in the 2nd innings against West Indies in October 2018 are the best bowling figures in a Test innings in Rajkot. It is also the only instance of a bowler picking up a fifer at this ground.
India vs England, 3rd Test: Latest predictions, betting odds
As per odds on Dafabet, India are the overwhelming favourites to win the third Test and take a 2-1 lead in the series.
| Match result | Betting odds |
| India win | 1.43 |
| Draw | 9.40 |
| England win | 3.95 |
