Rajkot, Feb 18, 2024, TRIPURATIMES Desk

Rajkot, Feb 18 (IANS) Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal came back from back cramps which forced him to retire hurt on day three to be now on the verge of making 150 as India stretched their lead to 440 runs against England after reaching 314/4 in 82 overs at lunch on day four of the third Test on Sunday.

Under sunny skies at the Niranjan Shah Stadium, India dominated the morning session in rousing fashion. Kuldeep Yadav frustrated England’s bowlers with his 91-ball 27 while Shubman Gill missed out on a successive second-innings century by just nine runs.

Jaiswal (149 not out) and Sarfaraz Khan (22 not out) added 56 runs for the fifth wicket stand to take India’s lead to 440, with the match now looking beyond England’s reach, who were made to toil hard by the hosts’ batters.

The morning began with nightwatchman Kuldeep dancing down the pitch to hit Tom Hartley for a delightful six over mid-on, also his first maximum in international cricket. He then slapped a short ball from the left-arm spinner over extra cover for four.

Gill joined the boundary-hitting spree with a trademark short-arm jab and sumptuous drive, even as Kuldeep grew in confidence by drilling Hartley over the bowler’s head and bringing in a deft late cut off Mark Wood to bring the fifty up of his stand with Gill.

England’s frustration was summed up when they burnt a review on Kuldeep off Wood and failed to take one when the batter was trapped plumb lbw on the sweep. Luck deserted India when Kuldeep didn’t time the ball well to mid-on and set out for a non-existent single.

He took a couple of steps, but sent Gill back, who was too late to get back to the crease and was run-out by the direct hit from mid-on despite the batter making a full-length dive, ending his knock at 91, which was co-incidentally the same score he made in the 2021 Gabba Test chase.

Shortly after, Kuldeep fell when his drive sent an outside edge to slip off Rehan Ahmed. From there, Jaiswal and Sarfaraz, the Mumbai lads, took a six each off Root over long-on fence, while entertaining the fans with sweep, flick, slog-sweep and loft to get the session in India’s favour.

Brief Scores: India 445 and 314/4 in 82 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 149 not out, Shubman Gill 91; Rehan Ahmed 1-64, Tom Hartley 1-78) lead England 319 in 71.1 overs by 440 runs