Birmingham [UK], July 4 : England's young prodigy Jamie Smith breezed past captain Ben Stokes' record to script the joint third-fastest Test century for the Three Lions, following his flamboyant exploits on Day 3 of the second Test against India at Edgbaston.
England lost its batting maestro Joe Root (22) and Stokes (0) in a whisker, forcing Smith to come out and orchestrate a rescue act with Harry Brook holding the other end. With the hosts reeling at 84/5, Smith embraced 'Bazball' to its last bit and pushed India's back against the wall.
The 24-year-old tantalised the Indian bowling unit, bereft of the world's best Jasprit Bumrah. He relentlessly swept and drove the ball towards the boundary rope to smash a hundred in 80 deliveries, the joint third-fastest by a player for England in the format.
He went past the 85-ball effort from Stokes against New Zealand at the 'Home of Cricket', Lord's, in 2015. Smith is level with Brook, who slammed a century against Pakistan in Rawalpindi in 2022.
Gilbert Jessop's magnificent 76-ball hundred against arch-rival Australia at The Oval in 1902 is still the fastest for England in the format. Jonny Bairstow's century in 77 deliveries against New Zealand at Trent Bridge in 2022 occupies the second spot.
Smith took on India's short-ball ploy and dispatched Ravindra Jadeja's delivery past the boundary rope for a four to bring up his hundred before the umpires decided to call lunch. Stokes and the entire England camp, along with the crowd, stood on their feet to applaud the valiant effort from the youngster.
While Smith dazzled at one end, Brook flummoxed the spectators with his sheer talent and hunger for piling up runs. Classified as a generational talent, Brook effortlessly directed the ball past the diving Nitish Kumar Reddy at gully to pick up a four and bring up his ninth Test century in his 27th Test appearance for England.
Brook needed 44 innings to bring up his ninth Test century, making him the third fastest to the feat after former greats Denis Compton (37) and Herbert Sutcliffe (43).