England wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith played a commendable knock under pressure on the final day of the second Test of the Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy at Edgbaston.
After losing three wickets late on Day 4, England suffered early blows on Day 5 as Ollie Pope and Harry Brook were dismissed quickly. However, the centurion from the first innings, Smith, joined captain Ben Stokes at the crease. Together, they steadied the innings and built a partnership of 70 runs from 115 balls, offering England some respite against the fiery Indian pace attack—particularly Akash Deep.
After Stokes was trapped LBW by Washington Sundar, Chris Woakes joined Smith in the middle. Smith guided him well, and the pair added 46 runs from 70 deliveries. He then stitched a 27-run stand with Brydon Carse. But eventually, Smith fell 12 runs short of what could have been a remarkable second century in the match. The dynamic right-hander scored 88 from 99 balls, including nine fours and four sixes. He handled the pressure superbly, kept the scoreboard ticking, and scored at an impressive strike rate of 88.89.
His resistance finally ended when Akash Deep dismissed him with a slower delivery, caught by Washington Sundar at deep square leg. With Smith’s dismissal, England’s hopes effectively came to an end.
In the first innings, Smith had played a brilliant knock of 184 from 207 balls, featuring 21 fours and four sixes. Alongside Brook, he helped England recover to post 407 after an early collapse.
Following Smith’s departure in the second innings, the hosts lost two more wickets in quick succession and were eventually bowled out for 271, losing the match by a massive margin of 336 runs. With this win, India have levelled the five-match series at 1–1.
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