Jamie Smith betters captain Ben Stokes' record, becomes first England batter to...

Jamie Smith lit up Edgbaston on Day 3 of the second Test with a blistering century that not only revived England’s innings but also etched his name in the record books. The 24-year-old wicketkeeper-batter brought up his hundred in just 80 balls against a relentless Indian attack, making it the joint-third fastest Test century for England in terms of balls faced.

In doing so, Smith overtook Ben Stokes, his current captain, whose fastest was an 85-ball ton against New Zealand at Lord’s in 2015. The milestone came at a crucial point of the game. England had been reduced to 77/3 at stumps on Day 2 and lost both Joe Root and Stokes early on Day 3. The latter departed for a golden duck, the first such dismissal in his Test career. But just when India looked set to tighten their grip on the game, Smith and Harry Brook counterpunched with centuries that kept England afloat.

Fastest Test centuries for England (by balls faced)

Additionally, Smith is also the first England batter to score 100+ runs in a session before lunch, having not been unbeaten overnight.Brook, whose name also features just above Smith in the list of fastest centuries, looked equally confident in his approach. His century also set another record, as he became the player with the third-lowest innings needed to reach 9 tons for England in Tests. Brook's record of 44 innings is only behind Herbert Sutcliffe (43) and Denis Compton (37).

While Stokes suffered a rare failure, Smith delivered a performance that could signal a long-term solution to England’s middle-order. With the series hanging in the balance at 1-0, the partnership between Brook and Smith has ensured the hosts remained in contention in the second Test remains.