​​India's biggest Test win in terms of runs came from Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ravindra Jadeja

Sarfaraz Khan played a crucial supporting role in a 172-run partnership with Jaiswal, which came in just 26.2 overs and helped India take a 2-1 lead in the series.

India required a day like this to send a message to those who believed they could defeat them at home. Despite being a team in transition, India has lost three Tests in just over three years, two more than they did in the previous eight years. Yet in Rajkot they gave their latest challengers an emphatic thrashing: the 434-run victory was India's biggest by runs and England's second-biggest by defeat.

On a spring day, under clear skies and in front of a large audience, the Indian batsmen dismantled the visiting bowlers, setting an insurmountable target. The home bowlers then turned the same pitch into a minefield. The batters broke several records and threatened to break even more, showcasing their dominance for the first time.  As a result, India took a 2-1 series lead with two matches remaining.

Yashasvi Jaiswal retired injured on 105 but came back to score his second successive double century, equal the record for most sixes in a Test innings and help India set a new record for most sixes in a Test. India also broke their own record for most sixes in a series, with two Tests remaining.

Three decades after a young left-hander from Mumbai burst onto the Test scene with back-to-back double centuries, Jaiswal emulated Vinod Kambli's feat. He also became the third-youngest to score back-to-back Test double centuries. His innings included 12 sixes and 14 fours, but he had to wait to resume his innings as the first 90 minutes belonged to the nightwatchman.

Kuldeep Yadav dominated the early exchanges, hitting his first six in international cricket, defending well, causing England to use a review, running Shubman Gill out nine runs short of his century, and eventually injuring Joe Root's finger when he offered him the catch that dismissed him.

Jaiswal started cautiously in the presence of his senior Mumbai colleague, but junior in the Indian team, Test debutant Sarfaraz Khan. The pair then unleashed a display of power-hitting and gap-finding. Jaiswal emerged as the clear winner as Sarfaraz could only score 68 runs in a partnership of 172 runs that lasted just 26.2 overs.

Jaiswal's onslaught included a hat-trick of sixes off James Anderson, including a sweep, an extra-cover drive and a bludgeon back to the ground. It brought back memories of George Bailey. He was the only other batsman to hit Anderson for three consecutive sixes. Jaiswal reached 180 before the over ended but then slowed down as he approached 200.

This only gave Sarfaraz a chance to shine. He thwarted Rehan Ahmed's plan to bowl into the rough outside leg stump by starting his attack with slow sweeps. Then he dismissed Root, who had been bowling down the leg side. There was a fleeting thought that he might have a chance to turn his two fifties on debut into a fifty and a hundred when he hit Rehan for a six, four and another six in the 98th over. But Rohit Sharma pulled the plug on the innings, setting England a target of 557 runs in around 130 overs.

Although the result may have never been in doubt, India needed to make a correction at the start of the innings. In the last five innings, they had gone for four half-century opening stands. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj were accurate. The ball moved easily for them. The innings began with two maidens. Ben Duckett took 12 balls to score his first run and then attempted a risky single in the seventh over, resulting in a run-out. This was due to a sprint to the wicket by debuting wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel, who collected a throw on the half-volley and broke the wicket while on the move. It was England's first opening stand of the series to fall short of 40.

Bumrah tested the top order during an eight-over spell. The spell ended at tea. One ball seamed in past Zak Crawley's inside edge, resulting in an lbw. After the tea break, R Ashwin returned to action after leaving Rajkot on the second night to attend to a family health emergency.

Ashwin, however, didn't have much on his plate. Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep were all over England. Ollie Pope was the first to fall to spin. He attempted a cut but was undone by a quick turn and a sharp catch by Rohit at slip.

England was losing key batsmen to the sweep, a shot that had caused India so much trouble in Hyderabad. Jonny Bairstow, who has struggled this series, and Root, who has bowled more overs than he has scored runs, played at balls that were too full and were caught in front. Kuldeep's dip deceived Ben Stokes.

At the end of 25 overs, England was 50 for 7, with three wickets falling on the same score. With 74 being the previous lowest, this was by far the slowest first 25 overs of England innings in the Bazball era.

The difference in quality between the two sets of spinners was evident. For India, the ball moved both laterally and with bounce, and a wicket never looked too far off. Jadeja returned to take two of the last three wickets after Ben Foakes and Tom Hartley had frustrated India for nearly half an hour. This was the first five-for for an Indian spinner in this series, in addition to his first-innings century, which he achieved in his hometown. This was a high point for Jadeja after a difficult week, during which a domestic dispute made headlines.

In between these two wickets, Ashwin, who had made the long trip to Chennai and back, found a wicket, his 250th left-handed victim to go with 251 right-handed ones.