KL Rahul fell for 199 as India piled on the runs to get within 86 of England\'s first innings total of 477 on Day Three in Chennai.
He registered his best Test score by a distance yet still left the field feeling distraught.
Rahul had batted for 451 minutes and faced 311 balls for his 199 when he chipped a wide half volley from Adil Rashid straight into the grateful hands of Jos Buttler. The MA Chidambaram Stadium fell silent and Rahul feel to his haunches.
His was only the fourth wicket to fall on a day of hard toil for England, the highlight being Stuart Broad's dismissal of Virat Kohli for just 15 to slash the Indian skipper's series average to 109. By the close India had reached 391-4 and were only 86 runs shy of England's first innings total of 477.
Rahul was ably assisted by Parthiv Patel, who made 71 in an opening stand of 152, and Karun Nair, who registered a maiden Test half century to finish 71 not out at the close.
Rahul started the day with a bang, smashing Liam Dawson back over his head for two large sixes before the morning was even 20 minutes old. At the other end, movement was limited for Stuart Broad.
Rahul secured his first half century of the series, then worked Broad for four through wide mid on the very next ball. Moeen Ali did attract an edge from Patel, but the ball flew wide of Ben Stokes at slip.
Patel joined his operning partner in progressing past the 50 mark but the wicketkeeper would fall before lunch, getting a leading edge off Moeen, Jos Buttler bagging an easy catch.
Rahul and Cheteshwar Pujara ambled through to lunch with India 304 runs behind having added 113 in the session. But shortly after the restart, Ben Stokes’ short ball tactics paid off, a hesitant Pujara edging to Alastair Cook at slip.
Pujara had barely left the square by the time the crowd started chanting Virat Kohli’s name and the Indian skipper’s first task was to congratulate Rahul on his fourth Test ton, brought up off 171 balls.
Kohli had made 15 when he offered up an unexpected gift as he drove a wide one from Broad straight to Keaton Jennings at cover. It was his lowest score of the series, and took his average in it down to a mere 109.
Rahul received some treatment after Jake Ball got one to lift sharply off a length and clock the batsman on his glove before it ricocheted into his rib cage but showed he was unaffected with lovely drive to the extra cover perimeter off Rashid.
Karun Nair drilled a full delivery back past Broad as he eased into his role, and by the time tea rolled around and India went in 256-3, the pitch was looking increasingly flat. Rahul went past 150 for the second time in his Test career shortly after he could have been run out, Bairstow nudging the stumps but failing to remove the bails when collecting Rashid’s throw from the deep.
Cook took the new ball and handed it to Broad and Ball. The latter forced his captain into action with his second delivery, Nair flashing hard at a wide one and Cook managing only to get a finger on the ball as it raced away for four.
Rahul smashed Dawson for a huge six to reach 193 but disaster struck when he was on 199. Adil Rashid offered up a wide half volley and the opener chipped it meekly to Buttler in the covers to silence the crowd. He trudged off, distraught and England nearly picked up two in two balls but their review for an LBW decision against Murali Vijay showed up an inside edge.