ENG vs IND 2025: How can India’s bowlers counter wicket-keeper batter Jamie Smith’s red-hot form? Smith scored 184 & 88 at Edgbaston.
Jamie Smith has arguably been the best batter for England in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. The young wicket-keeper batter has scored nearly 400 runs in the series at a sensational pace.
He has been the thorn for India in both the Tests and his talent came to the fore in the second Test at Edgbaston. After nearly bailing England out of trouble, courtesy of an unbeaten 184 in the first innings and his stunning partnership with Harry Brook, he played a lone warrior knock of 88 in the second.
Read More: Jamie Smith: A swashbuckling wicketkeeper-batter with a calm head on his shoulders
Jamie is perfect embodiment of a right-handed Rishabh Pant
In both instances, he was dominant and found boundaries at will. In a way, he can be termed as the right-handed version of Rishabh Pant. Like Pant, Jamie takes attack to the opposition and never allows the bowlers to settle. He did put India under a lot of pressure.
What’s great about him is that even after having been behind the stumps for almost 151 overs, he batted for 207 deliveries with minimal show of fatigue. This shows the fitness and agility he possesses and of course his dominating batting abilities.
Hence it is important for India to see the back of Smith relatively early. Apart from Brook, he is the only consistent batter in England’s batting line-up. Moreover, he is among those who binds the top and lower-order.
India couldn’t get the better of Jamie in the opening games but they need to find a way to stop his juggernaut in the coming games. How can they do that? To arrive at a conclusion, let’s analyse his statistical numbers.
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Jamie Smith in Tests:
Jamie Smith’s mode of dismissals in Tests:
From the above table, we can deduce that Jamie Smith doesn’t have a weakness in deliveries that is coming in as the percentage of bowled and LBW dismissals are very less. Of the 17 times he has got out in Tests, four of them have been caught by keepers and nine caught by other fielders.
Strategies that India bowlers could employ to counter Jamie Smith:
Bowl tight lines
In his brief 12 match Test career, Jamie Smith has scored 997 runs at a strike rate of 76.81 which is astounding as far as the format is concerned.
Even in the first two Tests, the keeper-batter made a whopping 356 runs at a strike-rate of 86.3 and one of the ways through which India can counter Smith is by keeping things tight. This could bring about a faulty shot from his end and eventually a wicket.
Employ short-ball tactic
While he does not have a weakness to short ball, Jamie Smith is a compulsive hooker and puller. In the second innings at Edgbaston, he got out playing a pull after smashing two successive sixes in lead up to the delivering.
Hence, if India can set appropriate field and bowl short, especially at the start of his innings, they could get his prized scalp.
Bowl away from his body
As mentioned in the table, Smith has been caught out most times. India pacers should look to take the ball away from his body and try to maximize the assistance provided by the surface.
Read More: ENG vs IND, 2025: Statistical review of India at Lord’s over the years
