England face a battle to save the third Test against India after toiling with bat and ball on day three in Rajkot.
Starting Saturday on 207-2, trailing by 238 runs, England would have backed themselves to be leading come stumps, yet Ben Stokes's side endured one of their worst days of the series thus far.
After collapsing to 319 all out, the tourists failed to contain the brilliance of young India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who battered the England bowling attack in reaching 104 before retiring hurt to help India to 196-2
With a lead of 322 and eight wickets still remaining, the home side are in line to set England an unattainable target - words rarely used in the Ben Stokes era.
Stokes was one of only two England batsmen to come out of Saturday's efforts with any credit, with the skipper making 41 from 89 as wickets tumbled around him.
Ben Duckett added 20 to his overnight score before being dismissed for 153, with Joe Root getting out for 18 and Tom Hartley making 13 as they posted the only other double-figure scores on day three.
1⃣0⃣0⃣ for Yashasvi Jaiswal 🇮🇳#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/TC5KIbgZij
— Cricket on TNT Sports (@cricketontnt) February 17, 2024
Mohammed Siraj was the pick of the bowlers, taking 4-84 when star man Jasrpit Bumrah had to settle for 1-54, and it left Jaiswal to take centre stage, not for the first time this series.
Nine fours and five maximums came from a knock of 104 from 133 balls, but the 22-year-old was forced to make an early exit before stumps courtesy of a back injury.
Nevertheless, Shubman Gill remains at the crease on 65, the dismissals of Rohit Sharma (19) and Rajat Patidar (0) looking largely irrelevant with India on 196-2 and the realistic possibility of setting England a target in excess of 450 on a deteriorating pitch.
Darren Plant
