Cricket-India crush England by 434 runs to go 2-1 up in series

Cricket – Third Test – India v England – Niranjan Shah Stadium, Rajkot, India – February 18, 2024 England’s Ben Foakes and Jonny Bairstow appeal for the wicket of India’s Kuldeep Yadav REUTERS/Amit Dave

RAJKOT, India (Reuters) -India set England a huge target and then skittled the tourists out for 122 to romp to a 434-run victory in the third test and go 2-1 up in the five-match series on Sunday.

Cricket – Third Test – India v England – Niranjan Shah Stadium, Rajkot, India – February 18, 2024 India’s Shubman Gill in action REUTERS/Amit Dave

India had been in the box seat since grabbing a handy first-innings lead of 126 and they never took their foot off the pedal at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium.

Cricket – Third Test – India v England – Niranjan Shah Stadium, Rajkot, India – February 18, 2024 England’s Ben Foakes and Jonny Bairstow appeal for the wicket of India’s Kuldeep Yadav REUTERS/Amit Dave

Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal smashed an unbeaten 214, Shubman Gill made 91 and debutant Sarfaraz Khan struck his second fifty of the match before India declared their second innings on 430-4.

Jaiswal equalled Wasim Akram’s record of hitting 12 sixes in a test innings and it followed his 209 in the second test in Visakhapatnam.

Chasing a record 557 for victory, England slumped to 50-7 with Ravindra Jadeja (5-41) wrecking their middle order.

Once Kuldeep Yadav dismissed England captain Ben Stokes lbw for 15, the match was effectively over.

Cricket – Third Test – India v England – Niranjan Shah Stadium, Rajkot, India – February 18, 2024 India’s Yashasvi Jaiswal in action REUTERS/Amit Dave

Mark Wood made a quickfire 33 before being the last England batter dismissed.

The fourth test, scheduled in Ranchi, begins on Friday.

(Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; editing by Ken Ferris)