EDGBASTON — Whatever the result of this rollercoaster second Test against India, England wicketkeeper Jamie Smith’s extraordinary innings will go down as one of the greatest seen on this ground.
Yet at 24 and playing in just his 12th match, he has plenty of time to get there – and on the evidence of this nerveless unbeaten 184, he has every chance.
This was still England’s best for a keeper, Smith overtaking the previous record of 173 scored by Alec Stewart, his mentor at Surrey, against New Zealand at Auckland in 1997.
1⃣5⃣0⃣ and counting for Jamie Smith pic.twitter.com/l285vmmvnx
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 4, 2025The circumstances couldn’t have been tougher as he faced up to a hat-trick ball from Mohammed Siraj.
He had briefly threatened the 76-ball record of Gilbert Jessop set in 1902 for England’s fastest Test hundred before eventually getting to three figures in 80 deliveries, still the third-fastest hundred by an Englishman in Test history.
Smith celebrates reaching his magnificent century against India (Photo: Reuters)
In the end, Smith was left high and dry 16 runs shy of a double century after India struck back with the second new ball, taking 5 for 31 to establish a 180-run first-innings lead.
It is clear, though, that without one of the best individual innings of the Bazball era from Smith, this game would already be over as a contest.
Indeed, the sixth-wicket pair’s contributions shone like beacons on a surreal England scorecard that contained six ducks and, other than theirs, no other score higher than Joe Root’s 22.
Jamie Smith brings up the 300-RUN PARTNERSHIP between himself and Harry Brook pic.twitter.com/tXRUC8CbAE
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 4, 2025This is a player whose Test call-up last summer was not unanimously popular despite spectacular batting form for his county Surrey.
However, Smith rarely kept for Surrey, such is Foakes’s excellence.
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Indeed, it was here last summer against the West Indies where he smashed one delivery over the Hollies Stand on his way to a high-octane 95.
He has real heart, too. Back in October in the series decider against Pakistan at Rawalpindi he had come to the crease in similar circumstances to here.
Smith went on to produce a brilliant innings of 89 in 119 balls that contained six sixes and got England up to 267, just 77 behind Pakistan’s first innings.
Just how good he could become with more than a year’s experience in Test cricket is truly scary for England’s opponents – including Australia in this winter’s Ashes.
“He’s played a phenomenal innings and one he should be proud of. Last year we saw him hit it over the Hollies. To have him in the side at No 7 is awesome with the depth we’ve got.”
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