At the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Mark Wood demonstrated the benefit of greater pace on a forgiving pitch, and before the first hour, India was down 33–3.
With a 204-run partnership, Sharma and Jadeja salvaged the innings and forced the hosts to retake the lead.
With the five-match series tied at one, the lengthy stand was both India’s maiden century partnership and the best effort by either side to date.
At stumps, Jadeja was hitting for his fourth hundred of the Test with nightwatchman Kuldeep Yadav on one at the other end. He was batting on 110.
Sharma scored 131 brilliantly, with 14 fours, three sixes, and lots of drama.
As he made his way to his eleventh Test century innings, the opener took a knock to his helmet, was caught in the slip, and managed to get an out-of-bounds call against him overturned.
Wood’s explosive speed plagued the batters, but Sharma’s choice to bat on a level field was scarcely shocking.
In his second over, the quick bowler caught Yashasvi Jaiswal (10) in the slip, and in Wood’s next over, Shubman Gill was caught behind for a duck.
