England defeated India by five wickets in the first Test of the five-match series at Leeds. Reflecting on the win, England wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith said that once the team gets on top in a game, they aim to finish it off without giving the opposition a chance to fight back.
“I think this was a great example of where the team have got to that we didn’t give India a chance. Maybe in the past we would have still played that same way but it might have been a collapse that gave them a chance or maybe gave them a little in. It was so measured and controlled that we never gave them a sniff. I think the really important thing is for the team to be quite ruthless and once you’re on top, try to put them to bed,” Smith said, as quoted by Independent UK.
Jamie Smith contributed significantly in both innings in Leeds
Smith also spoke about how the belief his teammates have in him has helped elevate his game. “Something that definitely took my game to the next level was having that belief from other people. If you get caught on the boundary trying to hit the ball for six, you feel you’re not going to get a slap on the wrist. The wind was howling that way, it was an option I thought I could easily obtain. If it was a different scenario of an 80-metre boundary with the wind blowing the opposite way, it would have been a conversation of ‘was that the best option?’. It’s not like we have free rein to do whatever, there is some calculated thinking behind it as well.”
Smith contributed significantly in both innings, playing two important knocks lower down the order. In the first innings, he scored 40 off 52 balls, hitting five boundaries and a six. In the second innings, he remained unbeaten and sealed the win for England with a six off Ravindra Jadeja. He finished with 44 runs from 55 balls, including four fours and two sixes.
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