( CNN ) -- England opener Alastair Cook just missed out on reaching a remarkable triple- hundred as the hosts continued to turn the screw in the third cricket Test against India at Edgbaston on Friday . Cook scored a career-best 294 as England racked-up a massive first innings total of 710-7 declared on day three , an unbeatable lead of 486 runs with two days play still remaining . And England 's position became even stronger when Indian opener Virender Sehwag was caught at slip for his second succesive opening ball duck , as the visitors began their second innings in disastrous fashion . However , in fading light , Gautum Gambhir and Rahul Dravid steered India to 35-1 at the close of play , still needing a mammoth 451 runs to make England bat again . India can not possibly win the match now , but they will need to bat for the remaining two days to salvage a draw , or hope that some bad weather finds its way to Birmingham . Starting the day on 456-3 , in reply to India 's score of 224 , England continued to plunder runs at will . And , after passing his second-ever Test double century , Cook looked on course to become only the sixth England batsman in history to reach 300 , and first since Graham Gooch -- also against India -- in 1990 . However , he was caught in the deep , off the bowling of Ishant Sharma , just six runs short of that famous milestone . Cook 's marathon innings of 12 hours and 47 minutes fell just half an hour short of the England record , set by Len Hutton , when making 364 against Australia at The Oval in 1938 . Their score of 710 was was England 's best for 73 years and their third highest of all-time behind the 903-7 declared against Australia at The Oval in 1938 and 849 against the West Indies at Kingston , Jamaica , in 1930 . It also leaves them perfectly placed to go an unbeatable 3-0 up in the four-Test series and secure the win that would see them replace India at the top of the Test Championship table .
Alastair Cook scores 294 as England dominate third Test against India . Cook 's highest - ever Test score helps England reach 710 - 7 declared . It is England 's third - highest ever Test score and their best since 1938 . In reply , India have reached 35 - 1 , requiring 451 runs to make England bat again .