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How Bairstow's Poor Form Gave Jamie Smith Chance To Cement His Place In ENG Test Team

Anurag Dasgupta

Jamie Smith story [Source: AP Photo]Jamie Smith story [Source: AP Photo]

Destiny plays a huge role in shaping one's Cricketing career and it certainly played a key role in Jamie Smith's introduction in England's Test setup. He was doing fine for his domestic County team, Surrey but the talented batter was nowhere in the scheme of things for England cricket, until the England tour of India in 2024.

On that tour, England's first choice keeper was Ben Foakes and if he was not available, Bairstow was the one who used to take care of the keeping duties. Hence, that department was safe and England had no plans to replace either of the two players.

How the India tour changed Smith's destiny

The India tour was horrendous for almost every English player but it had severe consequences on two stars - Bairstow and Foakes. While the likes of Ben Duckett, and Joe Root delivered the goods the other batters couldn't keep up with the Indian spin attack and failed miserably.

Jonny Bairstow, in particular, disappointed as the middle-order batter looked clueless against the Indian spinner and could only accumulate 238 runs in 10 innings, with an average of just 23.80. His declining form was a major factor as England decided to drop the experienced campaigner for the home summer against West Indies and Sri Lanka. This gave a chance to Jamie Smith who was selected in the England Test squad to replace Bairstow.

"We’ve been watching Jamie Smith for quite some time. You just see players who are rare talents, and he looks like that. There’s a lot made of us just wanting someone who can go out there and play shots and not the case. We want someone who can not only up ante when they’re batting with the tail but soak up pressure when they need to as well and we feel Jamie Smith can do that," ECB Director, Rob Key stated when he picked Smith.

Smith's aggressive batting, combined with his excellent keeping skills meant that England looked beyond the ageing Bairstow and found a young keeper-batter.

Smith repays the faith by smashing joint-third fastest hundred for England

Throughout the last year, Smith has shown flashes of his brilliance but on Friday against India, the keeper-batter rescued England from the danger of follow-on and smacked a 80-ball century as he, alongside Harry Brook tore apart the visiting bowling attack.

This was the joint-third fastest century scored by an Englishman in Tests as the Indian bowlers had no answer to his brutal onslaught.