England’s young wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith played a strong knock on Day 3 of the second Test against India at Edgbaston. He came to bat when England was in deep trouble after losing some early wickets.
Smith started playing attacking shots from the beginning. He did not look scared of Indian bowlers and hit boundaries to push the pressure back on them.
Jamie Smith’s Hundred Turns the Game
When he came in to bat, England’s score was only 84 for 5. But Smith joined hands with Harry Brook and both played smartly to save the team from a collapse.
Smith reached his century just before lunch by hitting a four off Ravindra Jadeja. His hundred came in only 80 balls. It was his second century in Test cricket. Also, it became the fastest Test hundred by any English batter against India.
He played some amazing shots, hitting 11 fours and one six. By the lunch break, England reached 249 for 5. His innings helped England come back into the match.
Smith’s Cricket Journey From Surrey to England Team
Jamie Smith is from Surrey. He started playing cricket at a young age. When he was only nine, he played for the county team. At the age of 12, he was already playing for the Under-17 team with older players like Tom Curran.
He made his debut for Surrey just before he turned 18. There was an injury in the team so he got the chance in a T20 match at Lord’s. He grabbed the opportunity well.
Later, he played for the England U-19 team. In one of the Tests in Bangladesh, he scored 90 and 104. On his first-class debut, he made 127 for MCC against bowlers like Stuart Broad and Dom Bess.
England Wicketkeeper Smith Making His Place in Test Side
In 2022, he scored an unbeaten 234 for Surrey against Gloucestershire. That innings brought him into focus. He had some ups and downs, but selectors saw his talent.
During the 2022-23 winter, he scored a 71-ball century in Galle for the England Lions team. It was the fastest hundred in Lions’ four-day match history. Many people started calling him the future wicketkeeper of England.
Smith made his Test debut in July 2024 against the West Indies at Lord’s. He scored 70 runs in his first match and helped England win by an innings and 114 runs.
After that, he played more matches. Before this game against India, he had already scored his first Test hundred against Sri Lanka in Manchester. Till now, he has played 11 Tests and scored 725 runs with an average of 45.31.
India Still Ahead But Smith’s Knock Gives Hope
Even though Smith played a brilliant innings, India’s big total of 587 is still a huge lead. Smith was not out on 102 runs from 82 balls at lunch.
England will still need more good batting to catch up. But Smith has given the team a big hope with his attacking hundred.
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