Birmingham [UK], July 4 : Ravi Shastri, Dinesh Karthik and Stuart Broad are in awe of Jamie Smith and Harry Brook's surreal exploits with the bat on the third day of the second Test at Edgbaston on Friday.
England lost its talismanic batter Joe Root (22) and captain Ben Stokes for a golden duck in a flurry, courtesy of Mohammed Siraj's blistering pace. Jamie walked out and joined hands with Harry Brook to stitch an unbeaten 165-run partnership to pull England back into the contest.
Before lunch was called, Smith, staying true to the definition of 'Bazball', blazed his way to a sizzling 102* from just 82 deliveries. Meanwhile, Brook, blending caution and aggression, returned unscathed on 91*, propelling the hosts to 249/5.
Shastri, impressed with Smith's talent and Brook's focus, delivered unstinting praise for the duo and said on Sky Sports, "Smith has a lot of talent. He was not looking to smack that four or hit it too hard. It is such a quick outfield, as we had in Leeds. Brook has counterattacked and played some majestic shots. I have liked his presence, his body language - he looks very focused."
Former England pace spearhead Broad was enchanted by Smith's gaudy exploits and Brook's beautiful approach and said, "I didn't really notice Brook, I was focusing on Smith, but Brook has played beautifully. He's a wonderful, wonderful player. Sometimes we question when he uses his feet, and you think he doesn't need to, but he's a wonderful, wonderful player."
Karthik underscored the footwork technique that Smith implements, which makes him a hard player to bowl to, and said, "It was beautiful to come out there, not think a lot, react to the ball. Smith is very instinctive and very old-school in the way he uses his feet. He can slog-sweep and isn't an easy guy to bowl to because anything slightly towards his area, fuller or shorter, he puts away."