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India star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja hit his fourth Test century on his home ground as his side hosted England for the third Test of the series. Jadeja completed the feat in 198 deliveries combining two maximums and seven boundaries. India skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss and confidently opted to bat first after their last match heroics. However, it seemed that England, who faced a 106-run loss in the second match, were seeking to avenge their past defeat as they quickly dismantled top-order batters.
India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who grabbed headlines in the last match with his double century walked back to the hut on 10 runs. Another emerging batting star Shubman Gill was next in the line as he returned on a duck. However, skipper Rohit Sharma held his nerves and hit his 11th Test century to give the home side some stability. Jadeja came after Rajat Patidar and didn’t seem to be in the mood to leave early.
The Rajkot-born pulled off his classic ‘sword' celebration to mark the feat. This was his first century after India’s Tour to England in 2022, where the all-rounder hit 104 runs.
Watch Ravindra Jadeja's sword celebration:
Ravindra Jadeja’s record in series so far
Jadeja returned to whites after missing the second game of the series due to a hamstring injury. In the series opener, the 35-year-old scored 87 runs off 180 deliveries in the first innings and 2 runs off 20 deliveries in the second innings. Apart from that, he picked a total of five wickets (three in the first, two in the second) in the opening Test.
Earlier during the day, the home skipper hit his 11th century in Test cricket and reached three figures in the longest format for the first time since India’s tour of the West Indies in 2023. Ahead of the third Test, BCCI secretary Jay Shah made a big statement and confirmed that Rohit Sharma will lead India in the forthcoming T20 World Cup.