In an unbeaten innings of 184, Jamie Smith has shaken up the record books, while England posted 303 runs in a single partnership. Yet, six batsmen got out without scoring, creating some unusual records.
Smith’s 184 runs smashed old records. Harry Brook contributed 158 runs, but the rest of England’s batsmen combined scored only 46! Remarkably, six batsmen were dismissed for ducks. Even after that massive 303-run stand, England’s total was only 407.
England’s performance in the Edgbaston Test against India has sent shockwaves through cricket records. While Smith and Brook achieved feats to be proud of, the innings also saw some bizarre team records.
Smith surpasses Rangite
Back in December 1897, Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji scored 175 runs off 223 balls batting at number seven against Australia in Sydney. That remained the highest score for an England number seven for over a century. Now, Jamie Smith has overtaken that with an unbeaten 184 off 207 balls. With a bit more support from his teammates, he might have scored his first double century.
Ranjitsinhji, an Indian prince who studied at Cambridge, is remembered as one of the greatest batsmen ever despite playing only 15 Tests for England. He scored over 24,000 first-class runs at an average of 56.37 and was an innovative batsman credited with inventing several cricket shots.
England’s best
In England’s 148-year Test history, Smith now holds the highest innings for a wicketkeeper-batsman, surpassing his ‘mentor’ Alec Stewart.
Stewart scored 173 against New Zealand in Auckland in 1997. It was at Surrey County Cricket Club under Stewart’s close guidance that Smith developed, and now he has overtaken him.
Smith beats Smith
The previous highest innings at number seven or below against India was held by Ian Smith, who scored 173 in Auckland in 1990 during a counterattack amidst chaos. That record has now been broken by Jamie Smith.
Fastest Smith
Under pressure, Smith reached his century off just 80 balls, making it the fastest century by an England player against India. The previous record was Kapil Dev’s 86-ball century.
It’s also England’s fastest Test century overall, beating Ben Duckett’s previous record of 88 balls.
In fact, Smith is the third fastest centurion in England’s Test history. Gilbert Jessop holds the record with 76 balls from 123 years ago, followed by Jonny Bairstow’s 77-ball century.
The fastest Test century ever was by New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum in 54 balls, who is now England’s coach.
Partnership record
Smith and Harry Brook added 303 runs together. It’s England’s second-highest sixth-wicket partnership.
The record partnership is 399 runs by Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow against South Africa in Cape Town in 2016. It is also the sixth-best sixth-wicket partnership in Test history.
This partnership marked the ninth triple-century stand for the sixth wicket in Test cricket history.
A feast of ducks
In this monumental innings, six England batsmen were dismissed without scoring—the most ducks in a single England innings.
India has now twice dismissed six batsmen for ducks in a Test innings, the other time being South Africa in Ahmedabad in 1996.
Brook’s triple triple
Harry Brook has now been part of three separate triple-century partnerships, a feat no other England batsman has matched.
Two of those partnerships included Joe Root, and Brook also shared triple-century stands with legends Len Hutton, Graham Gooch, David Gower, and Jonathan Trott.
Strange innings (1)
Even with Smith and Brook’s 303-run stand, England’s innings ended at just 407—a Test record for the lowest team total with a triple-century partnership.
The previous record was held by West Indies. After Brian Lara and Jimmy Adams put together a triple-century partnership against Australia in Jamaica, West Indies finished their innings at 431.
Strange innings (2)
This innings also holds the record for the lowest team total with two batsmen scoring 150+ runs.
The previous record was West Indies again, when Rohan Kanhai (150) and Gary Sobers (152) scored big in Guyana in 1964, but their team finished on 414.
Strange innings (3)
Despite six ducks in the innings, England’s 407 is also the highest team total to include that many zeroes.
Brilliant Siraj and Aakash
India’s Mohammad Siraj took 6 wickets and Aakash Deep 4 in the victory. The two new-ball bowlers shared all 10 wickets, the fourth time such a feat has occurred.
The previous three times involved Kapil Dev, who was partnered once by Karsan Ghavri, once by Madan Lal, and lastly in 1983 by Balwinder Singh Sandhu. That innings is often considered Kapil’s solo achievement since he took 9 wickets himself.
Storming Jaiswal
In the second innings, Yashasvi Jaiswal reached 2,000 Test runs off 40 innings—the joint fastest for India.
He matched Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid, who also reached the milestone in 40 innings.
The world record remains ‘immortal.’ Sir Donald Bradman scored 2,000 runs in just 22 innings—far beyond reach.
