Ravindra Jadeja claimed a fifer after an unbeaten 172-run stand between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sarfaraz Khan to hand India a huge win of 432 runs against England on Sunday. India now lead the five-match series 2-1.
This was India's biggest Test win in terms of runs, surpassing the 372-run victory over New Zealand in 2021.
Chasing the target of 557, the Three Lions had no answer to Jadeja (12.4-4-41-5), who had hit a century for India in the first innings. Seamer Mark Wood, who walked in at number nine, top-scored for the visitors with his 15-ball 33 as his team was bundled out for 122 in 39.4 overs. Jadeja was well supported by Kuldeep Yadav, who got two wickets while Jasprit Bumrah and Ravichandran Ashwin got one each.
The massive win was set up by Yashasvi Jaiswal who remained unbeaten on 214 in India's second innings. The other centurions of the game were Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja. Sarfaraz Khan scored back-to-back fifties on his debut.
The fourth Test will be played in Ranchi from February 23.
As it happened...
It was also a perfect platform for Jadeja to weave his magic as England's claims of fancying themselves in big chases through an aggressive approach came to nothing.
India's plan of attacking the wickets took the wind away from the sails of England, whose top order crumbled without any significant contribution.
Ben Duckett (4) ran himself out, Zak Crawley (11) was trapped leg-before by Bumrah and Jadeja struck twice in quick succession to see the back of Ollie Pope (3) and extended Jonny Bairstow's (4) misery on this tour.
Struggling desperately for runs on this tour, Bairstow was trapped leg-before while trying to sweep Jadeja.
England's hero of the win in the first Test, Pope cut one straight to Rohit Sharma at first slip as Jadeja shook their top-order.
After a brief period of resistance, Joe Root (7) missed a sweep with the umpire declaring him out leg-before off Jadeja, and the replays confirmed that the ball would have flicked the top of the off-stump.
Captain Ben Stokes (15) had a similar fate, missing a sweep off Kuldeep Yadav as England slumped to 50 for six.
Ashwin took the field in the post-tea session and contributed his bit with the scalp of Tom Hartley.
For a while, it seemed England would fold for one of their lowest-ever totals against India, but a late burst from Mark Wood (33, 15 balls, 6x4s, 1x6s) took them to 122 from 82 for eight.
But before Jadeja and his horsemen of apocalypse ran through England, Jaiswal and debutant Sarfaraz Khan showcased their brilliance in no little measure.
Shubman Gill too displayed his class with a 91 after India resumed the fourth day from 196 for two. The knock combined with his hundred in the previous Test might have brought him considerable time and confidence.
Shubman Gill with Jaiswal | AFP
But none shone as bright as Jaiswal. Having notched up his overall third century and second of the series, Jaiswal continued with his red-hot form to become the first player to hit 20 sixes in a series with two more matches left.
Jaiswal's six-hitting spree so far has resulted in India bettering their own record for most sixes (48) in a series.
The left-handed opener also entered record books to join Pakistan legend Wasim Akram for most sixes (12) for any batter in a Test innings, while resetting the same statistical high for India.
Jaiswal joined Vinod Kambli and Virat Kohli as only the third Indian ever to have scored two consecutive double centuries in as many games, while becoming the seventh Indian ever to have scored in excess of 200 in the second essay of a Test.
In the process, the 22-year-old Jaiswal also breached the 500-run mark in only the third Test of this series, reaching 545 runs in six innings at an average of 109 with two tons and a fifty.
In fact, Jaiswal is now the leading run-scorer in the current cycle of ICC World Test Championship (WTC), going past Australia's Usman Khawaja with 861 runs in seven Tests at 71.75, studded with three centuries and two fifties.
Sarfaraz Khan and Ravindra Jadeja | Reuters
But Sarfaraz too gave a shining portent with two fifties in his maiden Test.
His unbeaten 68 was laced with class and that customary disdain for spinners, something England will be worrying a lot ahead of the fourth Test beginning in Ranchi from Friday.
- With PTI inputs
