PIX: Rohit, Jadeja hit centuries; Sarfaraz shines on debut

Images from Day 1 of the third Test between India and England at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot on Thursday.

• Scorecard

Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja slammed hundreds while debutant Sarfaraz Khan announced his arrival on the big stage with a fluent half-century to power India to 326/5 at stumps on day one of the third Test against England here on Thursday.

With India reduced to 33/3 inside the first hour of play, Rohit (131 off 196) and Jadeja (110 not out) steered the ship through choppy waters with a 204-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

After the pair was separated, Sarfaraz slammed an entertaining 62 off 66 on debut to push India past the 300-run mark.

For England, fast bowler Mark Wood (3/69) vindicated his selection as England's second pacer with a two-wicket burst in the morning, accounting for Yashasvi Jaiswal (10) and Shubman Gill (0), while spinner Tom Hartley (1/81) got the better of Rajat Patidar (5) to leave India tottering.

Jaiswal was caught in the slips by Joe Root while Gill looked susceptible against the moving ball. After beating Gill on the inside edge, Wood found an outside edge to send back India's No 3 for a nine-ball duck.

Patidar was outdone by a ball from Hartley that neither spun sharply nor bounced unevenly but seemed to have slowed off the surface. Patidar was unable to control his shot as the ball simply ballooned towards short cover for a regulation catch.

The pressure on the Indian camp was palpable and the team management opted for a safer route by holding Sarfaraz back and promote Jadeja at No 5 -- a spot where he has batted at in only five out of his 70 Tests yet.

What transpired after the first hour calmed all the nerves in the dressing room as senior pros Rohit and Jadeja recorded only the third double-century partnership for India against England in 135 Tests.

With 204 runs for the fourth wicket, Rohit and Jadeja joined the esteemed company of Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly (249 vs England at Leeds in August 2002) and Vijay Hazare and Vijay Manjrekar (222 vs England at Leeds in June 1952) for having put on more than 200 against the Englishmen.

It was also the highest partnership between Rohit and Jadeja in an under-transition Indian side as well as their second in triple figures, having put on 100 for the sixth wicket against New Zealand at Kanpur in September 2016.

Rohit was unhurried and completely assured in the middle, producing a knock that was in complete contrast of his recent approach.

Rohit brought up his 11th Test ton shortly after play resumed in the final session and looked set for a long haul.

With Wood returning for another barrage of short balls amid a packed leg-side field, Rohit's timing went awry as he pulled the short ball straight to England captain Ben Stokes at midwicket.

The timing for his maiden Test outing was perfect for Sarfaraz, who unleashed his array of strokes -- powerful sweep shots and lofted drives over the in field -- to race to a maiden half-century, which came off just 48 balls and included seven fours and a six.

In fact, Jadeja was 15 runs short of his ton when Sarfaraz walked out to bat and when the senior batter reached his triple-figure mark, the youngster was already in his 60s.

Jadeja eventually brought up his fourth Test hundred and a second consecutive at his homeground here, but not before Sarfaraz was tragically run out following a mix-up with the southpaw.

Earlier, India were left reeling at 33/3 in the first hour's play having lost Yashasvi Jaiswal (10), Shubman Gill (0) and Rajat Patidar (5), but Rohit and Jadeja rebuilt the innings.

Rohit and Jadeja opted to grind it out in the morning session and impose themselves in the afternoon without taking any undue risks to put on 152 runs for the fourth wicket so far.

Rohit was one hit away from his 11th ton in the format and certainly a timely one given the circumstances. He has faced 154 balls with 11 fours and two sixes.

On the other hand, Jadeja went about his business with consummate ease to reach a resolute 68 not out from 126 balls with six boundaries and one six.

The dashing all-rounder found the gaps on a packed leg-side field and his immaculate running between the wickets was the stand-out aspect of his knock.

Jadeja had fielders standing close to his bat and even on the leg side, but the local favourite displayed excellent use of his wrists to work the ball around for singles and doubles.

As the pitch flattened out under the sun to provide nothing in terms of assistance for the English bowlers, the visitors were forced to work with their field settings and try different angles with their bowling. But nothing seems to have worked out.

For more than one spell, express pacer Mark Wood, who rocked India twice early, barraged Rohit with a deep fine leg and deep square leg in place.

Rohit did not find any trouble dealing with the challenge and did not mind slowing down a little in the second session to ensure he returns for the final session to keep consolidating for India.

India were jolted early by Wood's express pace and movement off the surface which saw the home team's best batter in the series Yashasvi Jaiswal (10) walking back without contributing much.

Shubman Gill might have come to this match on the back of a match-winning hundred at Visakhapatnam but Wood dismissed him for a nine-ball duck

Gill, who was beaten around the off-stump with a nip-backer, pushed a delivery that moved away with hard hands and Ben Foakes completed the easiest of the catches behind the stumps.

India's woes worsened when No. 4 Rajat Patidar, who too had a few nervous moments against the England pacers, was outdone by a delivery that seemed to have stopped a bit after hitting the deck off spinner Hartley.
 
Patidar could not control his stroke as he ended up lobbing the ball to Ben Duckett at short cover, to leaving India reeling on 33/3 inside the first 10 overs.

However, Rohit and Jadeja used all their experience to push England back with a determined unbeaten 56-run stand for the fourth wicket.

But, Rohit, who needed some runs after below-par outings in the previous matches, had a couple of moments of fortune as well.

Wood pinged on his helmet grill with a snorter, and then he survived a leg-before decision off James Anderson as DRS spotted a thin inside edge.

A few overs later, Joe Root spilled a tough chance at first slip off Hatley when Rohit was on 27.

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