Image credit: BCCI

It was a memorable weekend for Indian cricket fans, as Rohit Sharma-led Team India marched towards their biggest-ever win in Test cricket on Sunday. At the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot, hosts India completed a massive 434-run win against England in the 3rd Test, taking a 2-1 lead in the 5-match series. 

Centuries, milestones, debuts and a whole lot of drama - this fixture that lasted a good 4 days had all the makings of a classic Test match. And amidst all the action were three Royals players, each having a memorable outing to cherish, a beautiful page of Test cricket history to add to the chapters of their careers.

Here's how the Test match panned out for Ravichandran Ashwin, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel:

Dhruv Jurel's debut to remember

 

 

Dhruv Jurel waited and waited patiently for his turn at the crease as India went to stumps on Day 1 at 326/5, with nightwatchman Kuldeep Yadav being sent out to bat in the dying hours of the day alongside a settled Ravindra Jadeja. Come Day 2, Jurel stepped out to bask in the Rajkot sunshine to mark his first tryst with red-ball cricket in the India whites. Facing 10 balls of fast bowling from James Anderson and Mark Wood may not have been the start Jurel would've imagined to get going, but as soon he got off the mark, there was no looking back. Just 4 runs shy of his maiden half-century, this youngster from Agra already made the spectators sit up and take notice as he defended the good ones, left the bad ones alone, and dispatched the horrid ones, including an upper cut off Wood. Not to forget, a run-out, a stumping and a catch behind the stumps to round off a complete debut for the keeper-batter! 

Ravichandran Ashwin: The Milestone Man

 

 

Day 2 of the Test match saw the veteran off-spinner unleash his magic, first with the bat and then with the ball in his hand. After scoring a crucial 37 in the first innings that took India to a total of 445, Ashwin came on to bowl as India began their search for a breakthrough. It was in the 14th over of the innings that he got his 500th Test wicket when he dismissed England opener Zak Crawley. With this landmark milestone, Ashwin joined an elite group of bowlers, becoming only the second Indian to reach the 500-wicket mark after former spinner Anil Kumble. The 37-year-old also got there in 98 Tests, making him the second-fastest bowler in Test history after the all-time leader Muttiah Muralitharan. Ashwin is also the ninth bowler in world cricket to achieve the feat.

Yashasvi Jaiswal's scintillating double ton

 

 

The cricketing world continues to rave about this 22-year-old who continues to wield the power of his willow. Yet again, Yashasvi Jaiswal stood at the cusp of creating history as he notched up his second double-century in Tests, an unbeaten 214 that solidified India's lead further in the 2nd innings and paved the way for a monumental win. For the third time in his young career, Jaiswal converted his hundred into a 150+ score, becoming the first Indian batter to do so. It was only the third time an Indian player registered double centuries in consecutive Test matches, only behind Vinod Kambli and Virat Kohli. His 12 sixes in the innings was a record on its own, putting him alongside Pakistan's Wasim Akram for the most sixes hit in a single innings of a Test match. Jaiswal's unstoppable batting streak has made him the highest run-scorer in the series.

Related tags:

Ravichandran AshwinDhruv JurelYashasvi Jaiswal