IND vs ENG 2nd Test: Jamie Smith Scripts History, Becomes First England Batter To Achieve Massive Feat, Breaks Kapil Dev's Record

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IND vs ENG 2nd Test: England's young wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith etched his name into the record books with a blistering century on Day 3 of the ongoing second Test against India at Edgbaston.

Batting at No. 7, Smith stunned the Indian bowling attack with an aggressive knock, reaching his maiden Test hundred in just 80 deliveries - the fastest ever in India-England Test history.

Smith brought up his milestone with a boundary off Ravindra Jadeja in the 47th over of England's first innings, sending the crowd into raptures. With this, the 23-year-old shattered a 43-year-old record previously held by Indian legend Kapil Dev, who had scored a century in 86 balls against England in Kanpur back in 1982.

Smith's fearless approach and sharp strokeplay saw him dominate both pace and spin, becoming the first Englishman to reach three figures so rapidly against India in Test cricket.

Prior to Smith's heroics, the fastest hundred by an English player against India belonged to Ben Duckett, who reached the milestone in 88 balls during the Rajkot Test in February 2024. Other names on the prestigious list include Graham Gooch (95 balls at Lord's in 1990), Mohammad Azharuddin (88 balls at Lord's in 1990), and Rishabh Pant (89 balls in Birmingham, 2022), all of whom now trail behind Smith's record-breaking blitz.

In the wider context of Test cricket against India, Smith now ranks fourth on the all-time list of fastest centuries. Only David Warner (69 balls in 2012), AB de Villiers (75 balls in 2010), and Shahid Afridi (78 balls in 2006) were quicker than the Englishman.

Smith's innings was not just a personal triumph but also a crucial knock for England, who were struggling in their reply to India's massive first-innings total. His aggressive style breathed new life into the innings and helped shift momentum back toward the hosts, even if temporarily.

With this landmark feat, Jamie Smith has not only secured his place in the history of India-England Tests but also signaled his arrival on the big stage with a statement performance.