India vs England 2nd Test, Day 3: India on top despite Smith and Brook's hundred heroics at Edgbaston

BIRMINGHAM: Jamie Smith made the highest Test score by an England wicketkeeper of 184 not out and Harry Brook passed 150 yet again but India still ended Friday's third day of the second Test at Edgbaston with a lead of over 200 runs.

England were in dire straits at 84-5, more than 500 runs behind, when Smith joined forces with Brook in just the second over of the day's play.

They came together after Mohammed Siraj had taken two wickets in two balls, including removing Ben Stokes for the first golden duck of the England captain's Test career.

But England's sixth-wicket duo went on to add 303 runs before Brook fell for 158, with the hosts just one run shy of the follow-on.

And by the time England were dismissed for 407, Smith had long since surpassed Surrey mentor Alec Stewart's previous highest Test score by an England wicketkeeper of 173 against New Zealand at Auckland in 1997.

The second new ball, as the first one had done, however, proved England's undoing, with Siraj (6-70) and the recalled Akash Deep (4-88), in for the rested Jasprit Bumrah, sharing all 10 wickets in an England innings featuring six ducks.

India, looking to level the series after last week's five-wicket loss in the first Test at Headingley, led by 180 runs on first innings following a total of 587 built on captain Shubman Gill's superb 269.

And they had extended that advantage to 244 runs at the close, with India 64-1 in their second innings.

Yashasvi Jaiswal looked in superb touch while making 28 including six fours before the left-handed opener was lbw to a full-length ball from England first-change Josh Tongue.

A visibly angry Stoke was adamant India had taken too long to request a review but, fortunately for England, replays upheld the original decision in their favour.

Earlier in the day, Jamie Smith and Harry Brook tormented the Indian bowling attack, extending England’s domination to reach 355 for five at tea on the third day of the second Test at Edgbaston on Friday.

Brook completed his ninth century in just his 27th Test, and the pair have stitched together an unbroken 271-run stand, scoring at 5.08 runs per over. The Indian bowlers did manage to slightly rein in the scoring with a shift in tactics during the second session. At the break, Smith was unbeaten on 157 and Brook on 140, trailing India by 232 runs.

England’s young prodigy Smith breezed past captain Ben Stokes’ record to register the joint third-fastest Test century for the Three Lions, showcasing a flamboyant counter-attack on Day 3.

England had earlier lost Joe Root (22) and Stokes (0) in quick succession, leaving the hosts struggling at 84 for five. But Smith, embracing ‘Bazball’ to the fullest, launched a fearless rescue act with Brook holding firm at the other end.

The 24-year-old punished an Indian bowling line-up missing its spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, relentlessly sweeping and driving his way to a century in just 80 deliveries — equalling Brook’s effort against Pakistan in Rawalpindi in 2022 for the joint third-fastest by an Englishman in Test cricket.

Smith went past Stokes’ 85-ball century against New Zealand at Lord’s in 2015. Gilbert Jessop’s legendary 76-ball ton against Australia at The Oval in 1902 remains the fastest, followed by Jonny Bairstow’s 77-ball hundred at Trent Bridge in 2022.

Former England batter Jonathan Trott felt India’s reliance on short-pitched bowling helped fuel the English counter-attack.

“With short boundaries in place, India’s short-ball ploy didn’t work,” Trott said on JioCinema, referring in particular to the 32nd over, where Prasidh Krishna conceded 23 runs. The tall pacer went for 61 runs in his eight overs during the first session.

“That partnership at the start was very much under pressure, but as soon as India switched to the short-ball tactic, it actually let the English batsmen off the hook. They’re always going to take the short ball on,” Trott said.

“And once the runs started flowing — as anyone who’s watched cricket knows — that’s when the pressure starts to ease, and they can play their natural game. Even if one of them gets caught on the boundary, it’s not a big deal. The next guy will come in and likely do the same thing.”

It was still a placid pitch at Edgbaston, but both India and England brought out their aggressive best to make it an entertaining morning session on Day 3 of the second Test on Friday.

Resuming at 77 for 3, Mohammed Siraj struck early, dismissing overnight batter Joe Root in the fifth over and removing skipper Ben Stokes off the very next ball to push the hosts into deep trouble at 84 for 5.

India’s domination, however, ended there.

Jamie Smith launched a thrilling counter-attack, racing to a century off just 80 balls and taking England to 249 for 5 at lunch. The hosts added 172 runs in just 27 overs during the morning session, with Smith and Harry Brook putting on 165 runs for the sixth wicket. Smith is unbeaten on 102, while Brook is on 91.

The break might allow India to regroup and come up with a new plan against Smith, whose momentum was just beginning to taper off at the interval.

The Bazball approach caught India off-guard, with Smith and Brook unrelenting in their strokeplay. Pacer Prasidh Krishna bore the brunt, repeatedly trying to bounce out Smith — only to see him swat deliveries to the boundary, despite the presence of three fielders patrolling the square leg fence.

England’s aggressive batting stood in stark contrast to the more measured innings built by India and their captain Shubman Gill, who scored a superb 269 in India’s first-innings total of 567.

Starting the day 510 runs behind, England were looking to Root (18 not out overnight) and Brook (30*) — the world’s two top-ranked Test batters — to cut into the deficit. But in just the second over of the day, Root (22) glanced Siraj down the leg side and was caught by wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.

One ball later, Stokes was undone by a superb rising delivery from Siraj, edging once again to Pant.

Dubai: After Shubman Gill’s commanding 269 helped India post a colossal 587 in the first innings, Day 3 promises to be a pivotal phase in this gripping Test at Edgbaston. England’s decision to use the heavy roller ahead of their innings appears to have shifted the pitch dynamics, offering their pace attack extra bounce and movement.

Akash Deep Singh’s early breakthroughs on Day 2 — including dismissing Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope — put England on the back foot, with Joe Root and Harry Brook holding firm at 77 for 3 by stumps.

India will be looking to maintain pressure, sticking to their disciplined bowling plans as Gill’s confident batting sets the tone for the visitors. Meanwhile, England must rely heavily on Root and Brook to rebuild and chase down the daunting target.

Gill’s own transformation — returning to basics and rediscovering the joy of batting — could be the difference as this Test edges toward a thrilling climax. Will England’s tactics on Day 3 pay off, or will India extend their grip?

Stay tuned as the battle continues.