Yashasvi Jaiswal hit an attacking century before retiring hurt as India opened up a 322-run lead over England in the third Test on Saturday.
Jaiswal (104) stitched a 155-run partnership with Shubman Gill (65) as India gained the upper hand over England following the visitors’ batting collapse. At stumps, India had reached 196/2 with Gill and nightwacther Kuldeep Yadav in the middle.
India are playing with 10 players to bat and bowl after Ravichandran Ashwin pulled out of the match on Friday due to a family emergency.
England began the day at 207/2 with Ben Duckett on 133 and Joe Root on nine. Many expected Ben Stokes’s side to continue their attacking approach and surpass India’s first innings total of 445 by the end of the day.
Root’s wicket was the first to fall on the day after the right-handed batter attempted to reverse scoop Jasprit Bumrah only to hole out to Jaiswal at second slip. Jonny Bairstow followed the next over after being trapped in front of wicket by Yadav.
Duckett brought up his 150 but soon departed after hitting a wide delivery from Yadav straight to cover.
Captain Stokes and wicketkeeper Ben Foakes tried to steady the ship but both departed in back to back deliveries off Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj respectively with the score at 299.
The pair then quickly cleaned up the England tail to bowl out the visitors for 319 to hand India a 126-run lead.
Rohit Sharma, who scored a century in the first innings, departed for 19. Jaiswal and Gill took a measured approach to their innings taking the sting out of the England attack.
Jaiswal changed gears hitting James Anderson for a six and two fours off successive balls and attacked the spinners with sweeps and reverse sweeps.
Jaiswal, struggling with his back, retired hurt on 104, and the next man Rajat Patidar was out for a duck from 10 balls.
The 22-year-old opener began struggling with back spasms but raised his third Test century in just his seventh match. He required treatment twice during his innings before retiring hurt.
Rajat Patidar perished cheaply for 0 but nightwatcher Yadav held fort to play out the rest of the day with Gill.
The five-match series is level at 1-1 after England won the opener and India bounced back in the second match.
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