India v England, third Test, day three as it happened – Yashasvi Jaiswal stars as hosts build big lead on dominant day
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Updated 17/02/2024 at 11:46 GMT
Re-live our live text coverage of the third Test between India and England at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot. England captain Ben Stokes was hoping for first-innings parity, but skillful bowling and wasteful batting gave India a lead, before Yashasvi Jaiswal starred late on with the bat. You can watch all of the action from the third Test live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
India's Yashasvi Jaiswal (L) and Shubman Gill run between the wickets during the third day of the third Test cricket match between India and England at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot on February 17, 2024
Image credit: Getty Images
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The story of the third day
India bowl England out for 319, close on 196-2 and lead by 322
India enjoyed a totally dominant day to take complete control of the third Test in Rajkot.
The bowlers performed superbly to pick up the last eight England wickets for just 112 more runs to earn a big first innings lead. And India's batters built on that huge platform despite losing Rohit Sharma relatively early.
Yashasvi Jaiswal’s rapid century and a classy 65* from Shubman Gill saw the hosts put on a fast-paced partnership worth 155
And India ended play on 196-2.
The only disappointments for India in a run-heavy final few hours came when Jaiswal was forced to retire hurt on 104 with a tweaked back, potentially picked up from jumping to celebrate his hundred. And Rajat Patidar fell late on for a duck, missing out on a great chance to cement his spot at number four.
India’s excellence means England are facing a fourth-innings target that currently stands at 322 with plenty of wickets still remaining for the hosts.
No touring team has ever successfully chased down more than 276 in a fourth innings in India.
How England’s day unravelled
England began the day with hope of first-innings parity thanks to Ben Duckett’s superb century on the second evening.
But the tourists’ interpretation of ‘putting the pressure’ back on India slid into recklessness as wickets tumbled against an India attack that was vulnerable without the services of Ravichandran Ashwin.
Ashwin is expected to be absent for the rest of the Test for personal reasons, but he was barely missed as India bundled England out by midway through the afternoon session as England added just 112 runs for the final eight wickets.
Joe Root’s dismissal was the big talking point of the day even before India took complete control, with Shubman Gill catching him at second slip as he attempted a risky reverse scoop off Jasprit Bumrah.
TNT Pundits Sir Alastair Cook and Steven Finn were in complete agreement that it was the wrong time to play the shot, and Root’s departure exposed England’s misfiring lower-middle order.
Jonny Bairstow soon followed him back to the balcony for a duck, his eighth against India in Tests, more than any other player.
Bairstow did extend his stay out in the middle for a few minutes longer however, as he needlessly reviewed a lbw against Kuldeep that couldn’t have been more plumb.
Ben Stokes and Ben Foakes briefly hinted at a recovery, but fell in successive balls to Kuldeep and Siraj respectively, and India’s second seamer wrapped it up with some excellent bowling at the tail.
Siraj finished with 4-83, with Kuldeep the pick of the bowlers and deserving of better figures than his 2-77. Bumrah bowled a monster spell to put pressure on in the first session, while Jadeja bagged 2-51 from his ten overs in the innings.
There was at least something for England to celebrate with the bat, as Ben Duckett reached 150, but that was about the extent of the positives for the tourists on a dreadful day that leaves them facing a 2-1 series deficit with two matches remaining.
TNT Sports: The home of England men’s tours of India
TNT Sports is the new official broadcast home of England men’s tours of India in 2024, 2025 and 2028.
TNT Sports has also agreed a deal to show exclusive live coverage of every red-ball and white-ball international series played in India for the next five years.
The new agreement means:
- England’s five-Test tour of India will be broadcast live on TNT Sports and discovery+
- TNT Sports will broadcast England’s white ball tour (3 x ODIs and 5 x T20s) of India in January-February 2025
- TNT Sports will broadcast England’s tour of India, currently scheduled for January-February 2028.
How do I watch cricket live streams on TNT Sports? What is discovery+?
The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination.
You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.
STUMPS: India 196-2 (Gill 65, Kuldeep 3) Overs: 51
India lead England (319 all out) by 322 runs
Gill gets off strike with a single and will be looking forward to making hay on day four.
Kuldeep the nightwatchman survives the last ball and that brings the day to an end, a day that has been bossed by India.
India 195-2 (Gill 64, Kuldeep 3) Overs: 50
India lead England (319 all out) by 321 runs
Hartley gets one to turn a long way and it hits Kuldeep on the rump straight in-front. He’s playing no shot, but England decide not to review given it’s the nightwatchman. That may have been close.
Kuldeep survives the over and there’s one remaining in the day.
India 195-2 (Gill 64, Kuldeep 3) Overs: 49
India lead England (319 all out) by 321 runs
The ball loops up off Kuldeep and Bairstow lets it drop between him and first slip. Rehan grins, because that came off the thigh pad so it’s not a missed chance.
The nightwatchman bags three off the last ball of the over to keep strike and protect Gill.
India lead by a long way, but they want to make sure it’s comfortable.
WICKET! India 191-2 (Gill 63, Kuldeep 0) Overs: 48
India lead England (319 all out) by 317 runs
Rajat Patidar caught by Rehan Ahmed bowled Tom Hartley for 0 (10b)
Hartley gets one to grip and turn a long way out of the rough.
If England need any reminder of how tough chasing is going to be in the fourth innings, that’s just done it.
And Hartley gets his wicket as Patidar cloths a really poor ball straight to Rehan on the leg side. It’s a duck and a dreadful way to get out.
India decide to send Kuldeep in as the nightwatchman, which shows just how keen they are to kick on with this third innings and bat England out of the game completely on day four. It’s not aggressive cricket that’s for sure, but time will tell whether it’s necessary caution.
India 190-1 (Gill 62, Patidar 0) Overs: 47
India lead England (319 all out) by 316 runs
Patidar tries to get off the mark with a booming drive against Rehan that clatters straight into Pope at silly point. That one would have hurt!
One single comes from the over.
India 189-1 (Gill 61, Patidar 0) Overs: 46
India lead England (319 all out) by 315 runs
Spin at both ends as England decide to hold their quicks back.
Swann on commentary says the mindset from the tourists will be to try and make the most of the morning conditions, which have been the best to bowl in throughout this Test, and potentially that way they could at least keep the target to within theoretically chaseable reach.
It’s a positive take, but that’s the Bazball way.
Hartley bowls a maiden.
India 189-1 (Gill 61, Patidar 0) Overs: 45
India lead England (319 all out) by 315 runs
Rehan goes searching for something magical, but it’s not happening for England today.
Gill finishes the over with a classy four through the covers.
RETIRED HURT: India 185-1 (Gill 57) Overs: 44
India lead England (319 all out) by 311 runs
Hartley gets through a quick over that goes for one run.
And India have persuaded Jaiswal to call it a day and retire hurt given his physical difficulties.
That’s a wise move – it’s back-to-back Tests in this series and India will want Jaiswal fit for the fourth Test. They are so far ahead in the game and with so much batting still to come that it would be odd to risk their young opener.
He walks from the pitch to a round of applause from the crowd having hit a superb 104.
FIFTY! India 184-1 (Jaiswal 104, Gill 56) Overs: 43
India lead England (319 all out) by 310 runs
Wood continues with his short-pitched stuff and Gill takes him on, hammering a six over square leg to reach his half-century. And the number three keeps the runs flowing with a four through deep point.
The physio is back out there for Jaiswal, who is really struggling. The commentary team suggest maybe he tweaked his back while jumping to celebrate his hundred.
India 172-1 (Jaiswal 103, Gill 45) Overs: 42
India lead England (319 all out) by 298 runs
Hartley comes into the attack and gets through a tidy but unthreatening over.
And we have a lengthy pause for some treatment for Jaiswal, who’s tweaked something in his back by the looks of things.
India 171-1 (Jaiswal 102, Gill 45) Overs: 41
India lead England (319 all out) by 297 runs
These two are batting so well and they make it through another testing over of Wood’s short-pitched stuff, seeing him out for three singles.
England aren’t racing along with their over rate so we’ll have the extra half hour.
India 168-1 (Jaiswal 100, Gill 44) Overs: 40
India lead England (319 all out) by 294 runs
Gill has played a supporting role in this partnership, but he’s ready to unleash and smashes Root back down the ground for a maximum.
“If India win this last hour they’ll be in a dominant position,” says Ravi Shastri on commentary.
Not to disagree with the big man, but he’s not quite right there. India are already in an extremely dominant position, regardless of what happens before the close.
CENTURY! India 158-1 (Jaiswal 100, Gill 34) Overs: 39
India lead England (319 all out) by 284 runs
Yashasvi Jaiswal 100* from 122 balls
A nudged single off the first ball brings up the 150 for India and gets Jaiswal on strike.
Crawley does really well to prevent four from a glove down the leg side, and Wood’s short-ball barrage continues with Gill on strike. India have a clear plan for it though, trying to ride the bounce and knock singles into the space in the in-field.
And Jaiswal finishes the over with a brilliant cut for four to bring up his third Test century, coming off just 122 balls.
It’s been superb batting and he’s broken England’s spirit.
India 149-1 (Jaiswal 94, Gill 31) Overs: 38
India lead England (319 all out) by 275 runs
It’s gone a little bit quiet as India settle down and grind things out, making England sweat in the late-afternoon sun.
Three runs come off Root’s over.
India 146-1 (Jaiswal 92, Gill 30) Overs: 37
India lead England (319 all out) by 272 runs
Wood comes into the attack. What’s the approach here? Bouncer theory maybe? Or look for reverse?
It’s the former and it’s nasty stuff.
Wood has Jaiswal hopping about but there’s no breakthrough. It’s only so long a bowler can do this for.
India 144-1 (Jaiswal 91, Gill 29) Overs: 36
India lead England (319 all out) by 270 runs
Back underway with Root bowling and India completely in control of this Test. It’s going to be a record target from here for England on a pitch that has something on offer for the bowlers. But that’s something to worry about tomorrow, for now the runs will flow for India.
A couple of singles means Jaiswal will be on strike for the next over.
Drinks: India 142-1 (Jaiswal 90, Gill 28) Overs: 35
India lead England (319 all out) by 268 runs
Two singles come from Rehan’s over. Has Jaiswal eased back a bit with his century within reach? You couldn’t blame him, there’s so much time left in the game.
It’s time for some drinks.
India 140-1 (Jaiswal 89, Gill 27) Overs: 34
India lead England (319 all out) by 266 runs
Root turns one a long way and Jaiswal misses with a big swish. It ends up in first slip’s hands, via a kiss off the keeper’s gloves.
Just two singles come from this over, but the longer this day goes on the worse some of those England dismissals look… and they weren’t too pretty at the time.
India 138-1 (Jaiswal 88, Gill 26) Overs: 33
India lead England (319 all out) by 264 runs
It’s a tricky situation for Rehan this. Jaiswal puts him through point for four and reverses for four more.
India 130-1 (Jaiswal 80, Gill 26) Overs: 32
India lead England (319 all out) by 256 runs
More runs for Jaiswal as he latches on to a Root full toss and sweeps for six, via a bit of a top edge.
Root gets one to absolutely rag, beating Jaiswal all ends up and forcing Foakes to show off his prowess with the gloves.
England are so far behind that gremlins like that aren’t good news with a huge fourth-innings chase ahead of them.
India 123-1 (Jaiswal 73, Gill 26) Overs: 31
India lead England (319 all out) by 249 runs
Still the runs come. Jaiswal sees one in his arc and booms Rehan away for six.
The rest of the over is decent, but that won’t improve England’s mood much.
India 116-1 (Jaiswal 66, Gill 26) Overs: 30
India lead England (319 all out) by 242 runs
Root is back into the attack and Jaiswal hammers a short ball for four. This pair are batting England totally out of the game, it’s India’s game from here.
An uppish sweep has England interested in a catch late on, but it drops safe.
India 111-1 (Jaiswal 61, Gill 26) Overs: 29
India lead England (319 all out) by 237 runs
It’s a tough time to come into the attack but England need something special and they turn to Rehan, who’s in the side to do just that – although not ideally in such a back-foot situation.
Gill cuts him away for four in the one scoring shot of the over.
FIFTY! India 107-1 (Jaiswal 61, Gill 22) Overs: 28
India lead England (319 all out) by 233 runs
This is pretty brutal. England enjoyed an excellent session after tea yesterday, but this third day has raced away from them and India are stomping all over this match and setting themselves up for a 2-1 series lead.
Jaiswal hammers Hartley’s full toss away for six and brings up both his own fifty and the team’s hundred.
And he finishes off the over with a straight six back over Hartley’s head. This is getting messy.
India 94-1 (Jaiswal 49, Gill 21) Overs: 27
India lead England (319 all out) by 220 runs
It’s a big over as Gill survives a lbw shout off Anderson that was sliding down leg.
A single brings up the fifty partnership and Jaiswal takes on the England veteran at the back end of the over, hitting a huge six off backward square, throwing his hands at one and edging to the boundary, and finishing it off with a fierce pull.
19 runs come off Anderson’s over. Yep. 19 runs off an Anderson over. Serious batting.
India 75-1 (Jaiswal 35, Gill 20) Overs: 26
India lead England (319 all out) by 201 runs
A single off Hartley brings up the 200 lead for India, with nine wickets still in hand.
It means we’re into record chase territory already. Only two touring teams have ever successfully hunted down a fourth-innings target in excess of 200 in Indian conditions.
India 73-1 (Jaiswal 34, Gill 19) Overs: 25
India lead England (319 all out) by 199 runs
England need wickets and Anderson with a swinging ball is one of their best bets. India know that and play out a maiden.
India 73-1 (Jaiswal 34, Gill 19) Overs: 24
India lead England (319 all out) by 199 runs
Hartley’s been pretty decent with his line and length, but he overpitches to Jaiswal who sweeps hard for four.
The bowler responds well and fizzes one through that very nearly sneaks through Gill’s defences. England consider a review, but opt against it, which I think is wise.
India 67-1 (Jaiswal 29, Gill 18) Overs: 23
India lead England (319 all out) by 193 runs
The ball was reversing for Wood, so England keep pace at one end, with Anderson having a crack at it.
He throws everything at it, but one effort ball is slightly short and Gill dispatches it. England are looking for a bit of inspiration – there’s so much batting to come and they need to keep this third innings total relatively low given the first-innings deficit.
India 63-1 (Jaiswal 29, Gill 14) Overs: 22
India lead England (319 all out) by 189 runs
India are happy to keep things ticking over against Hartley. One run comes from the over.
India 62-1 (Jaiswal 29, Gill 13) Overs: 21
India lead England (319 all out) by 188 runs
Wood is getting a bit of movement which is handy for England, but he puts one in the slot for Gill, who receives the gift gratefully and dispatches it to the rope.
It’s reverse swing for Wood. That will surely mean Anderson comes back soon.
India 56-1 (Jaiswal 28, Gill 8) Overs: 20
India lead England (319 all out) by 182 runs
Jaiswal goes after Hartley and smashes him through the covers for four.
Six runs come from the over and India’s lead is dominant. How can England realistically chase on this surface? 300 possibly?
They’re going to need some brilliance with the ball to keep the total manageable and then it’s going to take a serious effort with the bat.
It’s looking unlikely in truth. If it wasn’t for the past efforts of Bazball you’d say there was no chance.
India 50-1 (Jaiswal 23, Gill 7) Overs: 19
India lead England (319 all out) by 176 runs
Wood pings one in to Jaiswal that catches the glove but flies safe to fine leg.
Four singles come from the over and Wood dashes off the park straight after.
India 46-1 (Jaiswal 21, Gill 5) Overs: 18
India lead England (319 all out) by 172 runs
Hartley has bowled a lot in this Test and he comes in for another. Some scatty running almost gifts England a wicket as Gill scampers safe with a quick single.
India 45-1 (Jaiswal 20, Gill 5) Overs: 17
India lead England (319 all out) by 171 runs
Wood has the ball in his hands for the first over after tea. Can he get any life out of this ball?
The session starts with the umpire having a chat with Jaiswal after the very first ball for running down the pitch. We saw penalty runs in the first innings, and at this rate we will again.
The story of the day so far
India have dominated day three, running through England with the ball despite the absence of Ashwin, who is expected to miss the rest of the Test due to personal reasons.
A combination of poor shots and excellent bowling saw England bowled out for 319, leaving the home side with a big first innings lead.
And that advantage has stretched to 170, with India 44-1 despite the loss of Rohit Sharma.
Root’s wicket is the big talking point of the day, with his poor series continuing thanks to a remarkable dismissal as he reverse scooped Bumrah straight to second slip early in the day.
It was a good catch off a shot that has brought Root plenty of runs in the past, but given his own lack of form and the match situation as a whole, it was a questionable way to get out.
Bairstow didn’t hang around for long, as his own struggles in the series continued.
The England number five didn’t trouble the scorers and put in one of the worst batter reviews ever seen as he went upstairs to an lbw against Kuldeep that could hardly have been more out.
It wasn’t all bad news for England in the morning session, with Duckett going on to bring up his 150.
But the opener fell trying to put away a rank ball from Kuldeep that he miscued straight to Gill in the field, giving India their third wicket of the session and leaving them in a dominant position.
England briefly threatened a recovery, but Ben Stokes (41) and Ben Foakes (13) fell to consecutive balls, and the innings was wrapped up quickly as the tail failed to wag.
Siraj ripped out Foakes, Rehan and Anderson to finish with 4-84, while there were two wickets apiece for Jadeja and the excellent Kuldeep.
TNT Sports: The home of England men’s tours of India
TNT Sports is the new official broadcast home of England men’s tours of India in 2024, 2025 and 2028.
TNT Sports has also agreed a deal to show exclusive live coverage of every red-ball and white-ball international series played in India for the next five years.
The new agreement means:
- England’s five-Test tour of India will be broadcast live on TNT Sports and discovery+
- TNT Sports will broadcast England’s white ball tour (3 x ODIs and 5 x T20s) of India in January-February 2025
- TNT Sports will broadcast England’s tour of India, currently scheduled for January-February 2028.
How do I watch cricket live streams on TNT Sports? What is discovery+?
The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination.
You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.
Tea: India 44-1 (Jaiswal 19, Gill 5) Overs: 16
India lead England (319 all out) by 170 runs
Jaiswal absolutely hammers an overpitched delivery from Root through the covers and away for four runs.
He finishes the over with a single and will take strike after tea.
India have won this session emphatically. They’re in control of the match.
India 39-1 (Jaiswal 14, Gill 5) Overs: 15
India lead England (319 all out) by 165 runs
Just the one over for Wood, who wasn’t at his best. Hartley returns and his over goes for one run.
India 38-1 (Jaiswal 13, Gill 5) Overs: 14
India lead England (319 all out) by 164 runs
Three singles come off Root as he continues with this lengthy opening spell.
India 35-1 (Jaiswal 11, Gill 4) Overs: 13
India lead England (319 all out) by 161 runs
That wicket signals the opportunity to introduce Wood into the attack. He cranks up the speed as the over progresses but doesn’t trouble this pair.
WICKET! India 34-1 (Jaiswal 10, Gill 4) Overs: 12
India lead England (319 all out) by 160 runs
Rohit Sharma lbw to Joe Root for 19 (28b)
England review again as Root launches a big appeal for an lbw against Rohit. The umpire says no, but it looks tight.
Was there bat on it? No there wasn’t. It’s all on ball tracking…
And he’s gone! Root punches the air. That is a big breakthrough.
Rohit grimaces, he maybe thought his big stride gave that a chance to be safe on height. But India are one down and the first-innings top scorer for the hosts departs.
Shubman Gill is the new batter and the fielders are up. But he takes it on and hits over the top for four.
India 30-0 (Jaiswal 10, Rohit 19) Overs: 11
India lead England (319 all out) by 156 runs
Three singles come off the latest Hartley over and the lead is building all the time.
It’s going to take something seriously special for England to win this Test from here. They’ve pulled off one miracle in the series so far and fallen short in another attempt. Which way will it go this time? It’d be historic if they could do it.
India 27-0 (Jaiswal 9, Rohit 17) Overs: 10
India lead England (319 all out) by 153 runs
It’s a maiden for Root. Tight from him, but India won’t mind too much. They’ve got the lead they wanted and wickets in hand.
India 27-0 (Jaiswal 9, Rohit 17) Overs: 9
India lead England (319 all out) by 153 runs
England think Hartley’s got Jaiswal and review, but it’s no good and England have burned one early.
The ball ballooned up for a catch and presumably they thought there was a little glove on it, but replays show there was nothing.
That did leave lbw as an option, but it never looked right, and ball tracking says it was missing by some distance.
Rohit takes a risk at the end of the over but picks up the boundary with a lofted drive.
India 22-0 (Jaiswal 8, Rohit 13) Overs: 8
India lead England (319 all out) by 147 runs
England need one of their bowlers to do something special today. Could Root be that bowler?
He gets a thick outside edge off Jaiswal, but it flies safe and runs away for two, with Anderson doing good work in the deep to save the boundary.
India 19-0 (Jaiswal 5, Rohit 13) Overs: 7
India lead England (319 all out) by 144 runs
Spin from both ends as Hartley has a go. He drags one down which Jaiswal knocks for a single and that’s the only scoring shot from the over.
India 18-0 (Jaiswal 4, Rohit 13) Overs: 6
India lead England (319 all out) by 142 runs
Root is tidy enough, but India milk him for three more runs.
India 15-0 (Jaiswal 2, Rohit 12) Overs: 5
India lead England (319 all out) by 142 runs
England are crying out for something with this new ball, but there’s nothing happening for Anderson.
Rohit knocks him for two off the end of the over. Every run stretches the daunting target that England will face in the fourth innings.
India 13-0 (Jaiswal 2, Rohit 10) Overs: 4
India lead England (319 all out) by 139 runs
Root fizzes through his second over, which goes for one run.
India 12-0 (Jaiswal 2, Rohit 9) Overs: 3
India lead England (319 all out) by 138 runs
Anderson bowls his second and India’s openers nudge him around.
You can almost feel the confidence emanating from Rohit from here. He will be delighted with how today has gone so far.
India 9-0 (Jaiswal 1, Rohit 8) Overs: 2
India lead England (319 all out) by 135 runs
Root takes the new ball from the other end. Will it be just the one, eating into the time that Wood has to spend out of the attack for his late arrival onto the field?
It’s an excellent over from Root, and Jaiswal blocks it out for a maiden.
India 9-0 (Jaiswal 1, Rohit 8) Overs: 1
India lead England (319 all out) by 135 runs
Anderson would have been hoping for a longer rest today but takes the ball for the first over.
Rohit takes him on straight away and pulls a poor ball dismissively for four. And he follows it up with a sumptuous cut to the rope.
India will want to make England pay with this innings – they can bat themselves into a position of complete control today.
Lawrence is temporarily on the field in place of Wood.
A missed opportunity for England?
Bazball lives on the precipice between recklessness and positivity.
That was how Steven Finn described England's approach in the TNT Studio during the lunch break, but today that has been far too much of the former.
England had an opportunity to build on Ben Duckett’s brilliant century and put India in trouble, particularly given that the home side are without Ravichandran Ashwin, who has withdrawn from this Test due to personal reasons.
But a combination of some excellent bowling and poor batting strategy means that India are now well ahead in this game.
WICKET! England 319 all out
India lead by 126 runs on first innings
James Anderson bowled by Mohammed Siraj for 1 (3b)
It’s all over as Siraj blasts out Anderson with another yorker that cleans up the number eleven.
It’s been an outstanding day for India and they have a big first-innings lead for the third match in succession.
England were outstanding with the bat yesterday, but haven’t been able to live up to those heights today, although some credit must go to India’s bowlers, who have been excellent.
WICKET! England 319-9 (Wood 0) Overs: 71
England trail India (445 all out) by 126 runs
Tom Hartley stumped by Dhruv Jurel bowled Ravindra Jadeja for 9 (17b)
What’s going to be the approach from England now? Wood can hit a long ball, but he’s not likely to stick around for long.
It doesn’t take long to find out as Hartley charges down to Jadeja, doesn’t get to the pitch of the ball and swings past it, with Jurel whipping off the bails.
Anderson and Wood are out in the middle, which was certainly not the plan for England at the start of play.
Wickets have fallen in clusters today, but it’s hard to shake the feeling that this is a wasted opportunity for England, who have lost too many set batters to poor shots.
WICKET! England 314-8 (Hartley 9, Wood 0) Overs: 70
England trail India (445 all out) by 131 runs
Rehan Ahmed bowled by Mohammed Siraj for 6 (13b)
Rehan picks out the gap in the covers to send Siraj to the rope.
But the bowler has the ultimate comeback as he fires down a superb yorker that pings the base of off stump and the bail drops.
It’s another wicket for India and they’re in a really dominant position in this match.
England 310-7 (Rehan 2, Hartley 9) Overs: 69
England trail India (445 all out) by 135 runs
One thing you’re not going to see from Rehan is a lack of confidence in this daunting scenario. It’s fair to say he’s a young cricketer who doesn’t seem troubled by self-doubt.
He plays Jadeja calmly and sensibly, rotating the strike.
And Hartley uses his feet before driving straight back past the bowler for four.
England 305-7 (Rehan 1, Hartley 5) Overs: 68
England trail India (445 all out) by 140 runs
Rehan scampers through for a single after inside-edging Siraj to backward square.
England 304-7 (Rehan 0, Hartley 5) Overs: 67
England trail India (445 all out) by 141 runs
Hartley and Rehan can bat so there’s still reason for positivity for England with these two out there.
A wonderfully driven four from Hartley off Jadeja gives the Barmy Army something to cheer.
WICKET! England 300-7 (Rehan 0, Hartley 1) Overs: 66
England trail India (445 all out) by 145 runs
Ben Foakes caught by Rohit Sharma bowled Mohammed Siraj for 13 (37b)
It’s two in two balls for India as Siraj strikes with the first ball of his over, fooling Foakes with a slower ball that he can only chip to mid-on. He goes for 13 and England are in serious trouble now.
Today has been a reminder of just how hard it is to score runs against India in India. Yes there have been some poor shots, but the bowling has been really good from India and they are well on top in this game now.
On a surface that will get better for bowling as the match progress, you’d expect a 100-run first-innings lead to be a winning position for the home side, even without Ashwin in the attack.
A single for the new batter Tom Hartley brings up the 300 for England.
WICKET! England 299-6 (Foakes 13, Rehan 0) Overs: 65
England trail India (445 all out) by 146 runs
Ben Stokes caught by Jasprit Bumrah bowled by Ravindra Jadea for 41 (89b)
Stokes will be furious with himself. He’s played sensibly to try and rebuild things for England, but goes big against Jadeja looking for the hit over the top and shanks a catch to Bumrah in the deep.
Rehan Ahmed is the new batter and England need the tail to wag in this afternoon session.
England 297-5 (Stokes 39, Foakes 13) Overs: 64
England trail India (445 all out) by 148 runs
Beautiful from Foakes who slots a drive through the covers and away for four.
He’s a classically organised sort of batter, not the explosive talent you get from the rest of this top order in the Bazball era, but he’s got plenty about him. His first-class average is 39 and he has two centuries to his name in his 22-Test career, so he’s a lot more than just a specialist keeper.
He picks up another couple from the over as six come off it.
England 291-5 (Stokes 39, Foakes 7) Overs: 63
England trail India (445 all out) by 154 runs
Jadeja takes the ball after lunch. Does that mean his lack of involvement in this innings so far has been tactical rather than a fitness thing?
He missed the second Test of course due to injury, and this just his sixth over of the innings.
But he bowls pretty nicely and his over goes for the one single off Foakes.
England 290-5 (Stokes 39, Foakes 6) Overs: 62
England trail India (445 all out) by 155 runs
The players are back out there for the session that could define this Test. If England can play well and avoid a big first-innings deficit then they’ll be confident going into the back-half of the match. But this is going to be a tricky surface to chase anything big in the fourth innings, and India will be looking to cement their dominant position in the match.
Siraj bowls the first over after lunch and Stokes blocks it out for a maiden.
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The story of the first session
It’s been India’s morning, no doubt about that, as they picked up three wickets with a bowling attack shorn of the services of Ashwin, who is expected to miss the remainder of the Test due to personal reasons.
Root’s wicket is the big talking point of the day, with his poor series continuing thanks to a remarkable dismissal as he reverse scooped Bumrah straight to second slip early in the day.
It was a good catch off a shot that has brought Root plenty of runs in the past, but given his own lack of form and the match situation as a whole, it was a questionable way to get out.
Bairstow didn’t hang around for long either, as his own struggles in the series continued with a fourth-ball duck - his eighth duck in Tests against India, the most by any player in history.
The England number five extended his stay in the middle with one of the worst batter reviews ever seen as he went upstairs to an lbw against Kuldeep that could hardly have been more out.
It wasn’t all bad news for England in the morning session, with Duckett going on to bring up his 150.
But the opener fell trying to put away a rank ball from Kuldeep that he miscued straight to Gill in the field, giving India their third wicket of the session and leaving them in a dominant position.
Kuldeep Yadav was the bowler of the morning, with Jadeja’s solitary over before lunch being the only reason the wrist spinner didn’t bowl through the entire session.
And credit should also go to the two India quicks, who each put in monster spells at the other end, with Bumrah’s first hour showcasing his ability to threaten even with a soft old ball.
Stokes and Foakes will resume after lunch with England on 290-5, still 155 behind.
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TNT Sports is the new official broadcast home of England men’s tours of India in 2024, 2025 and 2028.
TNT Sports has also agreed a deal to show exclusive live coverage of every red-ball and white-ball international series played in India for the next five years.
The new agreement means:
- England’s five-Test tour of India will be broadcast live on TNT Sports and discovery+
- TNT Sports will broadcast England’s white ball tour (3 x ODIs and 5 x T20s) of India in January-February 2025
- TNT Sports will broadcast England’s tour of India, currently scheduled for January-February 2028.
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You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.
LUNCH: England 290-5 (Stokes 39, Foakes 6) Overs: 61
England trail India (445 all out) by 155 runs
Jadeja takes the final over before lunch – his first of the day.
One keeps low on Foakes to have him concerned for a split-second, but the Stokes-Foakes pairing make it through to the interval.
England 289-5 (Stokes 38, Foakes 6) Overs: 60
England trail India (445 all out) by 156 runs
Siraj’s latest over goes for one run as England try and get through to lunch without losing another.
An excellent take from Jurel down the leg side is a reminder that the replacement keeper is no mug with the gloves, despite plenty of byes in this first session.
England 288-5 (Stokes 37, Foakes 6) Overs: 59
England trail India (445 all out) by 157 runs
Foakes has been circumspect since coming in, but he picks up a first boundary with a lovely flick through midwicket.
England 284-5 (Stokes 37, Foakes 2) Overs: 58
England trail India (445 all out) by 161 runs
That’s more like it from Stokes, who pulls Siraj away to the rope. It wasn’t the best ball and it got the treatment it deserved.
The bowler almost burgles a wicket later in the over though as one keeps low on Stokes and he is millimetres away from chopping on.
England 278-5 (Stokes 31, Foakes 2) Overs: 57
England trail India (445 all out) by 167 runs
Kuldeep is bowling some magical stuff and beats the edge of Stokes’ bat with a ripsnorter.
The quality of the deliveries is extremely high, but it’s made even more dramatic by some pretty patchy keeping from Jurel, who was preferred to Bharat primarily because of his batting rather than talent with the gloves.
A big top edge temporarily has India interested, but Stokes is relieved to see it drop safe over the keeper’s head.
Relief for the England skipper to get off strike, although he drops his bat while trotting through for a single, which sums up how he’s faring against the wrist spinner right now.
England 275-5 (Stokes 28, Foakes 2) Overs: 56
England trail India (445 all out) by 170 runs
Stokes turns Siraj away for a single to keep the strike.
He’s dominated this partnership so far, taking the leading role in England’s rescue job after those three wickets.
England 274-5 (Stokes 27, Foakes 2) Overs: 55
England trail India (445 all out) by 171 runs
Kuldeep has bowled right through the morning so far, with no sign of Jadeja in the attack today and Ashwin absent for family reasons.
He’s bowling beautifully though, and really should pick up another in an over that sees Foakes beaten by a stunner that narrowly misses off stump, with Stokes playing all around a snorter later in the over which beats everything to run away for four byes.
England 268-5 (Stokes 26, Foakes 1) Overs: 54
England trail India (445 all out) by 177 runs
It’s another relatively cheap over for Siraj, who pings Stokes on the body with a bumper to end it.
England 266-5 (Stokes 26, Foakes 0) Overs: 53
England trail India (445 all out) by 179 runs
Stokes tucks into Kuldeep with a slog-sweep to the midwicket boundary.
England 261-5 (Stokes 21, Foakes 0) Overs: 52
England trail India (445 all out) by 184 runs
Not to spell out the obvious, but it’s rebuild time for England.
Siraj gets through an over that goes for one run.
The chatter about Root’s shot that contributed to the first wicket of the day grows louder by the minute.
It’s a conversation worth having for sure, although Bairstow will be grateful to have escaped attention for what was one of the worst batter reviews of all time after he was completely done up by Kuldeep.
WICKET! England 260-5 (Stokes 20, Foakes 0) Overs: 51
England trail India (445 all out) by 185 runs
Ben Duckett caught by Shubman Gill bowled Kuldeep Yadav for 153 (151b)
Oh Duckett. It’s a sickener for the England man as Kuldeep sends down a rank one that’s short and wide, but Duckett shanks it as he tries to put it away and loops a catch straight to Gill in the ring.
He literally holds his head in his hands, that’s such a disappointing way to get out, but when you live by the sword you can die by it too.
But as he heads back to the dugout let’s take a moment to celebrate a truly phenomenal knock from the opener.
That’s the third wicket of the morning and brings Ben Foakes to the crease, with England still a long way behind. It’s been India’s day so far for sure.
England 260-4 (Duckett 153, Stokes 20) Overs: 50
England trail India (445 all out) by 185 runs
It’s time for a first bowling change of the day, over an hour into play. Siraj replaces Bumrah after that lengthy spell from the strike bowler, and Stokes tucks into the second seamer.
He flicks one away to long-on for four and then bags another boundary with a fizzing driver that flies away through the covers in the blink of an eye.
England 252-4 (Duckett 153, Stokes 12) Overs: 49
England trail India (445 all out) by 193 runs
Stokes was very watchful before drinks, but he’s given himself time and reckons now is the best time for a change of approach.
He lays into Kuldeep, smashing him back over the top for a one-bounce four.
Remember that India are without Ashwin for the rest of this Test. They still have a very good bowling attack even without the services of the 500-wicket man, with two contrasting left arm spinners and a pace duo who are among the best in the world.
They will have 11 players on the pitch all day of course, with a substitute fielder allowed to replace Ashwin. But the additional player won’t be allowed to bat or bowl in the match.
Drinks: England 247-4 (Duckett 153, Stokes 7) Overs: 48
England trail India (445 all out) by 198 runs
Bumrah has bowled straight through this first hour and he ends the mammoth spell with a maiden. That signals time for drinks, with India enjoying the better of the early action on this third day.
If England don’t get up towards parity in this innings then there’s going to be a lot of chat about the shot Joe Root played earlier to get out, reverse scooping Bumrah straight to second slip. In fact, there’s going to be a lot of chat about it regardless.
It did seem to be a big risk given the scenario, but then the batter will say that he’s scored plenty of runs with that shot, and it was execution rather than intent that was the problem.
You can’t expect chanceless cricket from a team scoring as fast as England currently do, but should Root be the exception to England’s overall approach?
Root averages 14 from five knocks in this series, which is nowhere near what you’d expect from a player of his quality.
And Bairstow, the other batter to go today, averages 19.6 across his five innings.
Those two are at the heart of England’s batting order, and the team will need at least one of them to deliver in the remainder of the series.
England 247-4 (Duckett 153, Stokes 7) Overs: 47
England trail India (445 all out) by 198 runs
The lead slips below 200 for the first time, but that feels a long way off for England right now.
They’re on the ropes in the face of some excellent bowling from Bumrah and Kuldeep. The spinner almost gets Duckett, beating him in the flight.
England 244-4 (Duckett 151, Stokes 6) Overs: 46
England trail India (445 all out) by 201 runs
Bumrah is performing miracles with an old ball that is offering him very little, going through all of his clever variations.
A cutter takes a leading edge from Duckett but it drops safe, and Stokes edges down, well-short of the cordon to end another extremely dangerous over.
150 for Duckett! England 243-4 (Duckett 150, Stokes 6) Overs: 45
England trail India (445 all out) by 202 runs
One ball after giving the toughest of chances to Rohit at slip, a reverse sweep that takes an under-edge gives Duckett his 150. It’s not the best shot of his knock that’s for sure, but this has been a brilliant innings from the opener.
Stokes almost goes next ball as Kuldeep gets one to turn and bounce and it catches the elbow of the batter and beats everything to run away for four leg byes.
India are in the game here, it’s a dangerous spell for the two batters out there.
England 238-4 (Duckett 149, Stokes 6) Overs: 44
England trail India (445 all out) by 207 runs
Two fours come from Bumrah’s over, but both are edges.
Duckett tries to flick one away and it takes a leading edge over the head of gully.
And Stokes edges with a prod forward and it fizzes away through the cordon all along the ground.
England 229-4 (Duckett 144, Stokes 2) Overs: 43
England trail India (445 all out) by 216 runs
Three runs come off the over as Kuldeep’s spell continues.
England still trail by more than 200 and Foakes is the only recognised batter to come. There’s some talent amongst the bowlers, with Rehan and Hartley particularly capable, but this partnership feels crucial.
England 226-4 (Duckett 143, Stokes 0) Overs: 42
England trail India (445 all out) by 219 runs
Bumrah almost has Stokes with a beauty that is a whisker away from off stump.
One run comes from the over and it’s time for England to regroup after that double setback.
Bairstow was done by a decent delivery as his relatively disappointing campaign continues, but Root has himself to blame after attempting an unusual shot against Bumrah.
This feels like the sort of day where England’s most talented batter could have made hay, and he’s thrown that away – although there’s an interesting debate on commentary about whether or not Root’s approach under Bazball is acceptable or not.
While the accepted wisdom is that Root hasn’t found a settled approach in England’s aggressive set-up, it’s worth noting that he averaged 65.58 in eight Tests across 2023 – his best yearly return since 2014.
WICKET! England 225-4 (Duckett 142, Stokes 0) Overs: 41
England trail India (445 all out) by 220 runs
Jonny Bairstow lbw to Kuldeep Yadav for 0 (4b)
One wicket brings two as Kuldeep traps Bairstow straight in-front and the finger eventually goes up.
After a long discussion the new batter reviews but I’m not entirely sure why. He was nowhere near connecting with a ball that turned a long back into him and caught him flush in front.
DRS says it’s hitting middle of middle and Bairstow doesn’t even wait for the confirmation after seeing the initial replay. He’s not troubled the scorers and has burned a review in frankly embarrassing fashion.
Ben Stokes is the new batter and India have a chance to get into England’s lower order this morning and give themselves a first-innings lead.
WICKET! England 224-3 (Duckett 141, Bairstow 0) Overs: 40
England trail India (445 all out) by 221 runs
Joe Root caught by Yashasvi Jaiswal bowled Jasprit Bumrah for 18 (31b)
It’s a gift for India as Root attempts to play a sort of reverse scoop off Bumrah, but he doesn’t connect and guides it to Jaiswal at second slip, who holds on to a catch that came at him very fast.
Root is furious with himself and it’s a big breakthrough for India, who really needed an early wicket to set themselves up in this first session today.
England 223-2 (Duckett 140, Root 18) Overs: 39
England trail India (445 all out) by 222 runs
Duckett tucks in to Kuldeep off the first ball of the spinner’s second over, aggressively sweeping him away through midwicket for four runs.
There’s a scare for the centurion later in the over though, as he hesitates when called through for a quick single and is fortunate that the throw from a scrambling Jurel isn’t better. The keeper had to move quite a bit to get to the ball, but Duckett would have been in trouble with a direct hit.
England 216-2 (Duckett 134, Root 17) Overs: 38
England trail India (445 all out) by 229 runs
Bumrah continues and Root takes advantage of one that’s a bit short, playing it very late to dab it away for the first boundary of the day. Six runs come from the over.
India are wearing black armbands today, although the official word is that it’s not related to Ashwin’s absence, but is in memory of Dattajirao Gaekwad, former India captain, who passed away earlier this week.
England 210-2 (Duckett 134, Root 11) Overs: 37
England trail India (445 all out) by 235 runs
It’s Kuldeep rather than Siraj at the other end to start the day, and he’s operating with a rather defensive field.
Root makes a watchful start against the spinner, picking up just a single.
England 209-2 (Duckett 134, Root 10) Overs: 36
England trail India (445 all out) by 236 runs
Bumrah bowls the first over of the day. The first hour was pretty lively for the quicks on the opening two days, although on both occasions England had a new ball to go along with the slightly hazy conditions.
It’s a bashed up 35-year-old ball for Bumrah and it’ll be interesting to see what he can extract from the pitch before any overnight moisture completely burns away.
England have been relatively wary against the quick all innings as a rule, and two singles come from his over. He’s still going at more than 4s, but that’s far less than any other bowler in the attack.
03:55 - No Ashwin for the rest of the Test
Ravichandran Ashwin will not be involved in the play today and has withdrawn from the remainder of the Test just a day after becoming the ninth player in history to take 500 Test wickets, with the off-spinner pulling out of the match due to a family emergency.
It’s sad and concerning news and our thoughts are with Ashwin and his family.
03:50 - Hello and welcome
It might be exceptionally early on this Saturday morning, but if you’re tuning in to TNT Sports then you’ve made an excellent decision.
This third Test is fascinatingly poised after a second day that saw the momentum swing in England’s favour thanks to Ben Duckett’s remarkable century.
India still have a substantial lead though, and will remain hopeful of securing a big first-innings advantage for the third time in the series.
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Day two recap in Rajkot
- England reach 207-2 at six-an-over but still trail by 238
- Ben Duckett scores brilliant 133* from 118 balls
- Ravichandran Ashwin reaches 500-wicket landmark
Bazball has truly arrived in this series, with England ending day two of the third Test on 207-2, and with Ben Duckett set to resume on 133* after hitting a brilliant century.
Duckett’s 133 runs have come off just 118 balls, featuring 21 fours and two sixes, with England rattling along at almost six runs an over and give a high-quality India attack all sorts of problems.
Zak Crawley (15) and Ollie Pope (39) were the two wickets to fall for England, with Ravichandran getting Crawley to make history with his 500th wicket in Test cricket, becoming only the ninth bowler to do so.
Ashwin also played a decent part with the bat earlier in the day as India got up to 445 in their first innings, meaning that they still lead by 238 despite being put to the sword by England in the evening session.
England started the day with a bang, taking two early wickets to give hope of wrapping up India’s innings quickly
James Anderson had the nightwatchman Kuldeep Yadav caught behind for the first dismissal of the day.
And centurion Ravindra Jadeja was unable to start again as he chipped a catch straight back to Joe Root.
But India ground out the runs in the remainder of an attritional morning session, as Ashwin and debutant Dhruv Jurel ensured India went beyond 400.
Two bad drops after lunch didn’t prove hugely expensive for England, but a late flurry from Jasprit Bumrah (26 from 28 balls) lifted India up to 445 all out – a decent total, especially having been 33-3 early on.
All five England bowlers took wickets in the innings, with Mark Wood ending with figures of 4-114 and Rehan Ahmed bagging 2-85. Tom Hartley bowled tidily and racked up 40 overs in the innings, while there was plenty of work for Wood and Anderson, who got through 27.5 and 25 overs respectively.
There was also a moment of slight controversy as India were hit with five penalty runs as Ashwin was warned for running down the wicket, meaning that England started their innings on 5-0 without facing a ball.
Duckett’s stunning century saw England counter-attack in their innings, which started with a mini-spell before tea and continued with a flurry of runs in the evening session.
But India still hold a significant lead with three days of this Test remaining, and England will need to bat well on the third day to take advantage of their strong start.
TNT Sports: The home of England men’s tours of India
TNT Sports is the new official broadcast home of England men’s tours of India in 2024, 2025 and 2028.
TNT Sports has also agreed a deal to show exclusive live coverage of every red-ball and white-ball international series played in India for the next five years.
The new agreement means:
- England’s five-Test tour of India will be broadcast live on TNT Sports and discovery+
- TNT Sports will broadcast England’s white ball tour (3 x ODIs and 5 x T20s) of India in January-February 2025
- TNT Sports will broadcast England’s tour of India, currently scheduled for January-February 2028.
How do I watch cricket live streams on TNT Sports? What is discovery+?
The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination.
You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.
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