Jamie Smith and Harry Brook hundreds in vain as India turn the screw on day of batting feast and famine

Independent

04-07-2025

Jamie Smith produced the innings of his life alongside fellow centurion Harry Brook, but their blistering counter-attack was not enough to stop India taking command of the second Rothesay Test.
England were in dire straits at 84 for five, Joe Root and Ben Stokes dismissed by successive deliveries in the second over of the third day at Edgbaston, before Smith and Brook put on a magnificent stand of 303 to breathe life into a fading cause.
Smith's unbeaten 184 was a jaw-dropper, loaded with 21 fours and four sixes, and included an 80-ball century before lunch.
In passing 173 he broke his Surrey mentor Alec Stewart's record score by an England wicketkeeper and also set a new high score for a number seven, the previous mark of 175 dating back to 1897.
For 60 overs, he and Brook transformed a perilous position into a walk in the park. But when the Yorkshireman was brilliantly bowled for 158 by Akash Deep with the second new ball, the precariousness of England's situation was exposed. They lost their last five wickets for just 20 runs, India's hasty wrap-up leaving the hosts 407 all-out and 180 adrift.
England's scorecard made for bizarre reading, the outlandish efforts of Smith and Brook undercut by six ducks as the cavalry failed to arrive. Mohammed Siraj dismantled the tail to finish with figures of six for 70, with Deep picking up the other four.
India boosted their lead to 244 by reaching 64 for one at stumps and are now heavy favourites to square the series 1-1.
England's next best effort after their twin centurions was 22 from Root, who would have been kicking himself for missing out on a big score of his own. Following a loosener from Siraj, he nicked down leg and into the gloves of Rishabh Pant.
Stokes could have no such regrets about the first golden duck of his career, beaten all ends up by a brutal lifter from Siraj and only able to glove behind. India had landed a hammer blow but neither Brook nor Smith allowed themselves to feel the heat.
Starting his innings against Siraj's hat-trick ball, Smith presented the full face of the bat and stroked it down the ground for four. That was the start of a fearless assault as he cut and pulled his way into the driving seat.
Prasidh Krishna thought he could unsettle Smith with the short ball but lost the duel to a knockout blow, Smith hammering a single over for 23 including four fours and a six.
Gilbert Jessop's fabled 123-year-old record for England's fastest Test hundred was in Smith's sights as he hit Washington Sundar's first two balls wide of mid-off for four and lifted Ravindra Jadeja for six on the charge.
He missed that slice of history by five balls but made sure to pass three figures in the final seconds before the lunch break, thrashing Jadeja for consecutive boundaries.
Brook had a 31-run head start on Smith but accepted a rare back-seat role, bringing up his ninth Test hundred in a less hasty 137 balls and banishing memories of last week's dismissal for 99 at Headingley.
Having leaked 172 runs in the first session, India made a tactical retreat, bowling well wide of off stump for long passages and spreading the field. They reduced the damage to 106 in the afternoon, a late flurry of those coming from Brook's barrage of reverse sweeps against the spinners.
There was only one real chance, Smith edging Nitish Kumar Reddy low past Pant's outstretched glove on 121.
India's lead, which had stood at 503 when Stokes fell, was down to 200 when the new ball worked its magic. Brook was bested by a beauty from Deep, a dash of extra pace and some sharp movement off the pitch knocking back his off stump.
The stadium serenaded him off the field but there was little to celebrate as the next four tumbled with alarming ease. Chris Woakes nicked a drive to slip, Brydon Carse and Tongue were both pinned lbw and Shoaib Bashir shouldered arms to a straight one.
The capitulation meant it was back to business for a fatigued bowling attack who got through 151 overs in the first two days. India's openers put on 51 in less than eight overs, Carse clearly struggling with foot pain, before Tongue had Yashasvi Jaiswal leg before in fading light.