India tighten grip after Jaiswal double ton deflates England

RAJKOT, India :India rode Yashasvi Jaiswal's blistering double hundred to set England a humongous target of 557 and then reduced the touring side to 18-2 to tighten their grip on the third test on Sunday.

Jaiswal, who retired hurt on 104 on Saturday due to back spasms, returned to propel India to 430-4 in their second innings before the hosts declared.

The opener clobbered 12 sixes in his unbeaten 214, equalling Wasim Akram's record of most sixes in a test innings achieved against Zimbabwe in 1996, as well as 14 fours.

England, having lost both their openers before the tea break on the penultimate day, were staring at a comprehensive defeat.

India had been in the box seat since grabbing a handy first-innings lead of 126 and Shubman Gill (91) further consolidated their position when play resumed.

Kuldeep Yadav (27), who came in as nightwatchman on Saturday, rubbed salt into England's wounds by going after the spinners.

Gill was run out after a misunderstanding with Kuldeep, who fell to Rehan Ahmed.

Jaiswal and Sarfaraz Khan tore into the England attack and suddenly it started raining fours and sixes at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium.

Sarfaraz's unbeaten 68, which included three sixes, was his second fifty in his debut match.

Jaiswal took a single off Joe Root to bring up his double hundred, which followed his 209 in the second test in Visakhapatnam.

Together they plundered 172 runs off 158 deliveries that allowed India to declare with more than four sessions left in the play.

There was further good news for India as spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who flew home on Friday following a family emergency, reunited with the squad and is likely to bowl on Monday.

The five-test series remains poised at 1-1.