Jamie Smith Becomes The Fastest England Wicketkeeper To Score A Test Century
Jamie Smith smashes the joint third-fastest century for England in Tests to peg Shubman Gill and co back.
Kevin Varchand 
Birmingham (England) July 3: Jamie Smith played a perfect counter-attacking punch as he helped revive England’s innings alongside Harry Brook in the first innings of the second Test on Day 3 at Edgbaston, Birmingham, on Friday. The right-handed batter brought up his century off just 80 balls, registering the joint third-fastest ton by an England batter. Smith walked out to bat in just the second over of Day 3 as Ben Stokes lost his wicket to Mohammed Siraj.
Jamie Smith started going after the bowling right from the start, and he took a special liking to Prasidh Krishna. Smith’s onslaught helped England post 172 runs in 27 overs in the opening session of Day 3.
As soon as Smith brought up the landmark off the bowling of Ravindra Jadeja, the entire Edgbaston crowd gave him a standing ovation. England captain Ben Stokes also stood up to give him a rousing reception.
With this knock, Jamie Smith became the first England batter to score more than 100 runs in a session before lunch, having not been unbeaten overnight.
Smith might have been dismissed in trying to play the pull shot in the first innings of the first Test against India, but the England wicketkeeper-batter showed no intentions of backing down against Prasidh Krishna in the second Test at Edgbaston, Birmingham.
On Day 3, the right-arm pacer decided to unleash a short-ball barrage at the right-handed batter. However, the latter was one step ahead as he dished out a series of fours and sixes.
Prasidh kept banging it in short and Smith kept hitting them out of his sight for boundaries towards the legside. In the 32nd over of England’s first innings, Jamie Smith hit 32 runs off the bowling of Prasidh.
Prasidh did not concede a run off the opening ball of the over. However, the remaining deliveries went towards the boundary ropes. When Jamie Smith brought out true carnage, Ravi Shastri on air quipped, “Arrogance personified.”
The right-arm pacer conceded the joint-most runs for India in an over against England alongside Ravindra Jadeja. The left-arm spinner had conceded the same number of runs in the Rajkot Test in 2024.
Jamie Smith scored his half-century off just 43 balls, the fastest fifty of the ongoing series between India and England. According to Cricbuzz, he had a control percentage of 95.5 at the time of reaching his fifty, which is the best by anyone in this series from either side.
