Jamie Smith was in top form with the bat on Day 3 of England’s ongoing Test series against India at Edgbaston. Coming in early in the day, the wicketkeeper-batsman reached his century in the final over before lunch and then his 150 in the following session.
In terms of balls taken, he became the fifth-fastest England Test player to reach 150. Unsurprisingly, four of the five fastest occurrences occurred during the Bazball era, led by Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes.
Fastest to 150 in Tests for England (by balls)
| Player | Opposition | Venue | Year | Balls Taken |
| Harry Brook | Pakistan | Rawalpindi | 2022 | 115 |
| Ben Stokes | South Africa | Cape Town | 2016 | 135 |
| Ben Duckett | India | Rajkot | 2024 | 140 |
| Ollie Pope | Zimbabwe | Trent Bridge | 2025 | 142 |
| Jamie Smith | India | Edgbaston | 2025 | 144 |
Stats as of July 4, 2025
Prior to Smith, Duckett had played a similar-paced knock against India in the Rajkot Test in 2024. His 153 off 151 deliveries comprised 23 fours and two sixes. No other significant contribution from his teammates meant England were bowled out for 319 in their first innings. The Ben Stokes-led unit ultimately suffered a resounding loss by 434 runs.
Coming to the current game, England seem to be gradually coming close to India’s 587-run total. Smith, along with Harry Brook, batted supremely well as the hosts ended the second session of the day on 355/5 in 75 overs.
Smith came out to bat after Mohammed Siraj dismissed Stokes for a golden duck in the second over of the day’s play. This was only the next ball after the right-arm quick had dismissed Joe Root (22 off 46). However, since then, Smith and Brook looked resolute at the crease and took control of the game as they added a whopping 303 runs for the sixth wicket.
India
