England wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith played a powerful innings against Indian pacer Prasidh Krishna on Day 3 of the second Test at Edgbaston. Smith scored 22 runs off Krishna in a single over that yielded 23 runs including a wide delivery. The 24-year-old right-hander began the 32nd over of England’s first innings with a defensive shot. He then hit the next two balls for a boundary and a six. Smith finished the over with three consecutive boundaries.
Smith began with a powerful pull shot off a short delivery that raced to the deep square leg boundary. Krishna followed with another short ball, and Smith launched it for a massive six over the same area. The third delivery was sent between mid-on and mid-wicket for a four. The next ball met the same fate as Smith drove it over mid-on for another boundary.
Krishna then bowled a bouncer that went over Smith’s head. The umpire called it a wide. On the final ball of the over, Smith punched a full delivery straight down the ground for his fifth boundary of the over.
Smith’s aggressive knock not only lifted England past the 220-run mark but also brought up his fifth Test fifty in just 43 balls. His form helped England recover from early setbacks and apply pressure on the Indian bowling attack. At the end of the over, England were 223 for five with Smith well set and pushing toward a century.
India batted first and scored 587 runs in their first innings. Shubman Gill led the innings with a record double century, making 269 runs off 387 balls with three sixes and 30 boundaries. Ravindra Jadeja and Yashasvi Jaiswal also contributed with scores of 89 and 87 respectively. England’s Shoaib Bashir took three wickets.
England currently leads the five-match series 1-0. India will look to bounce back in this match and level the series.
