IND vs ENG | What Is Team India's Test Record At SCA Stadium In Rajkot? 

image-lslmpo8wIndia have won 1 and drew 1 Test in Rajkot [AP Photo]

After an eight-day break, Team India lock horns with England again in the third Test of the riveting five-match series in Rajkot, starting Thursday (February 15). 

Rohit Sharma's men strive to retain a wood over the tourists after pulling off a magnificent comeback win in Visakhapatnam following a painstaking defeat in Hyderabad. 

With the series levelled 1-1, it would be critical for both teams to forge ascendancy over their opposition in the third Test and put the other side under great pressure heading into the final two Tests in Ranchi and Dharamshala.

For India, there is pride at stakes as they look to thwart England's 'Bazball' parade and retain their unbeaten home series streak, having not conceded a Test series in familial conditions since November 2012. 


What Is Team India's Record In Rajkot? 

Set to be renamed after veteran administrator Niranjan Shah over the coming days, the Saurashtra Cricket Ground in Rajkot has hosted two previous Test matches for Team India. 

The first Test played at the state-of-the-art facility in Rajkot was held in November 2016 when India hosted England for the opening Test of the series. The next time India played a Test in Rajkot was two years later when the West Indies came to visit Indian shores for a two-match assignment. 

In the first Test played against England, Team India was given a rare scare in home conditions by the visitors, who posted a massive 537 in the first-innings and took a lead of 49 runs despite centuries from Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara. 

Asked to chase 310 with just over a session remaining on Day 5 on a roughed-up surface at the SCA ground, India came out unscathed thanks to a priceless stints at the crease by Vijay (31), R Ashwin (32) and unbeaten men skipper Virat Kohli (49*) and Ravindra Jadeja (32). 

The next time India played in Rajkot, however, they dominated the Test from the word go against their hapless Caribbean rivals. The hosts posted an insurmountable 649/8 declare on the back of a trio of centuries from Kohli (139), Jadeja (100) and debutant Prithvi Shaw (134).

After which the bowlers ruled the roost as Ashwin's 4 for 37 in the first-innings helped skittle out West Indies for just 181 and then wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav's fifer bundled them out for 196 upon being asked to follow-on.