Rohit Sharma became the first captain to declare against England in the ‘Bazball’ era when he called Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sarfaraz Khan back on Day 4 of their third Test against England at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot.
India declared at 430 for 4 on Day 4 to set England a mammoth 557-run target to chase in Rajkot. Prior to this Test match, England had played 20 matches under the leadership of Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes, winning 14, losing five and drawing one, but never had any team declared against them.
India scored 445 runs in the first innings before England posted 319 runs despite being in a commanding position at the end of Day 2. The hosts did not get off the best starts in their second innings, losing the all-important wicket of Rohit early, who had scored his 11th Test hundred in the first innings.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, who had started off slowly, then stitched a crucial 155-run stand with Shubman Gill, while completing his third Test century while Gill got past the 50-run mark.
IND vs ENG, 3rd Test Day 4: Live updates
However, the 22-year-old’s innings came to a halt on Day 3 after he retired hurt himself following a back spasm in the final session. He walked in to bat on Day 4 when Gill fell agonisingly short of his fourth Test hundred, being run-out following a terrible mix-up with Kuldeep Yadav.
Gill departed after scoring 91 runs off 151 balls, smashing nine boundaries and two sixes. Kuldeep followed Gill back to the pavilion soon, after being dismissed for 27 by Rehan Ahmed.
Jaiswal then formed an unbeaten 172-run partnership off 158 balls with Sarfaraz Khan to take the game away from England. Jaiswal went on to complete his double century while Sarfaraz became just the fourth Indian to score twin fifties on Test debut as India declared at 430 for 4 to set a massive 557-run target for England in Rajkot.
India will be looking to keep their immaculate home Test record intact, having not lost a Test series at home in the last 12 years. In fact, the last team to beat India in a home Test series was Alastair Cook’s England team in 2011/12.
