Jamie Smith’s sensational century gives England hope but India seize their moment

Pressure? What pressure? Or to pinch a line from Keith Miller, the great Australian all-rounder and a fighter pilot during second world war: “There is no pressure in Test cricket. Real pressure is when you are flying a Mosquito with a Messerschmitt up your arse.”

Notwithstanding this old truism, there was still a fair bit on the line when Jamie Smith strode out to middle at 11.12am here on the third morning. Joe Root had been uncharacteristically strangled down leg, Ben Stokes had been blown away by a brutish first ball and Mohammed Siraj, a fiery fast bowler known to get on a roll, was eyeing up a hat-trick. Oh, and England were 84 for five, 503 runs behind India’s first innings.

So what did Smith do? He sent the ball whistling back past Siraj for four like he was Ronnie O’Sullivan calmly drilling home a long pot, the first instalment of an absurd counterattack that produced an 80-ball century before lunch.

That mind-bending feat alone would probably have been the story of the day, regardless of what followed. But the right-hander was not done there, his 184 not out from 207 balls – 21 fours and four sixes – the highest Test score by an England wicketkeeper, surpassing Alec Stewart’s 173 versus New Zealand in Auckland in 1997. Surrey not sorry, if you will.

Equally as absurd was that Harry Brook was every bit a headliner; the other half of a mammoth 303-run stand for the sixth wicket that, for England, was second only to Stokes and Jonny Bairstow ransacking 399 runs in Cape Town in 2016. Brook compiled his ninth century in his 44th Test innings, a relatively watchful 158 from 234 balls – well, watchful by Brook’s standards – that had a well lubricated Hollies Stand chanting his name to the tune of Boney M’s Daddy Cool.

Although Siraj and his Indian colleagues would probably like a word here, perhaps a little acknowledgment of some other numbers on the scorecard with it. After his electric start to the day – one that induced one of Root’s agonised trudges back to the dressing room and continued Stokes’s struggles with the bat – Siraj grabbed the second new ball after tea, wiped out England’s tail, and finished with figures of six for 70 from 19.3 overs.

With this – plus a commendable four for 88 from Akash Deep that finally prised open an end by persuading Brook to play on – the hosts had been bowled out for 407 in just shy of 90 overs.

This was the highest total in Tests to contain six ducks and one that allowed India to claim a 180-run first innings lead. By stumps, they were 64 for one, 244 ahead. Josh Tongue had removed the dangerous Yashasvi Jaiswal lbw for 28, but the task ahead for England was already looking monumental.

Last week’s failure to defend 371 at Headingley will have Shubman Gill wary of the final equation to set England, however, as will the surface on which India’s captain finessed 269 runs in the first two days. The spinners are yet to get much assistance, while the majority of the seamers have been turned into Sisyphus after the ball has lost its hardness.

Mohammed Siraj appeals successfully for lbw against Brydon Carse. Photograph: Ashley Western/Colorsport/Shutterstock

Three years on from Stokes and his men knocking off 378 here to beat India by seven wickets and openly wondering how they might have fared against a target of 450-plus, the England captain may well be about to get his wish.

Kudos to India for hanging on and seizing their moment when it arose. It had been an onslaught from Smith in the morning, the kind that can send a captain slightly potty. Gill did not do poor Prasidh Krishna too many favours , switching to an easily telegraphed bouncer ploy early on and seeing England’s wicketkeeper crash four fours and a six in a 23-run over. Smith got out this way in Leeds, in fairness, but equally Krishna had beaten his outside edge bowling to a regular field in the previous over.

This was the standout of a rollicking 172-run morning with the deceptively giant Smith walking off with three figures for the second time in his career. Soon after the restart, having been overtaken by his teammate, Brook followed suit and after the 99 at Headingley, was probably relieved. It has been a strange old series for Brook, who but for a no-ball from Jasprit Bumrah in his first outing, and an early umpire’s call going his way here on day two, could have easily returned scores of 0, 0 and 1.

There was a bit of what has recently been called “Bazball with brains” during a relatively more sedate afternoon session that added 106 runs. Smith and Brook did not just assess the match situation, but responded to a ball change on the stroke of drinks with its fresher replacement nipping about a touch more. It was calculated batting, the pair cruising past the 150 mark and giving rise to thoughts of a one-innings shootout.

But once a shinier third ball of the innings came out of the box, the impressive Deep cracked the safe and the tail rather disintegrated. Smith responded in kind with a couple of meaty blows – his fourth six off Deep was driven straight down the fairway – only for his partners to be unable to resist.

Siraj and Deep are winning the new ball head-to-head with Chris Woakes and Brydon Carse in this match, such that Bumrah’s spell of rest is barely being spoken about any more.