ENG vs IND | Twitter thrilled as Smith goes bonkers to punish Krishna's persistence with plan B

Today at 5:10 PM

Jamie Smith struck Prasidh Krishna for 22 runs in an over to eventually bring up a 32-ball fifty against India at Edgbaston

The flat pitches on offer in England in the Bazball era has made bumpers the go-to plan for skippers looking to hunt down set batters. India were no different when Jamie Smith walked in to bat at Edgbaston on Friday but the Surrey batter was prepared for it, and took down the threat with aplomb.

I‌ndia further strengthened their strong grip on the second Test on the morning of Day 3 on the back of Mohammed Siraj's twin blows to leave England reeling at 84/5, in pursuit of the visitors' first innings total of 587. The last specialist batter Jamie Smith thus walked in knowing only all-rounders and tailenders were to follow, and another wicket for India would practically be curtains for the hosts. Thinking along the same lines, Indian skipper Shubman Gill brought Prasidh Krishna into the attack and instructed the right-arm quick to employ bouncers in an attempt to harrass Smith to buy his wicket. Theatre ensued.

Krishna began with his barrage on the second ball of the 32nd offer but failed to get enough venom behind the bouncer and Smith promptly pulled it away for four. The next bumper was higher and travelled farther too, Smith tanding tall to dispatch the Dukes into the stands over the square leg fielder. Nevertheless, Gill doubled down the plan by adding another fielder to the leg side, only for the wicket-keeper batter to place a grounded pull between square leg and midwicket for another boundary. Perhaps the pick of the lot came on ball five, when Smith made room for himself and slapped the ball past mid-on to make it four boundary shots on the trot. Frutstrated, Krishna tried to bowl an effort delivery next up, only for it to be called a wide and Smith made matters worse by rounding off the over with another four, this time through mid-off.

Smith followed up the 23-run over with another six off a Krishna bouncer in the next over but the pacer nearly had the last laugh when a shot was inches away from being caught by Karun Nair at short square-leg. Twitterati, meanwhile, was throoughly entertained.

Bang bang!

— BavumaTheKing Temba (@bavumathek83578)

Canage!

Now that's how you counter-attack! 💥

Batted, Jamie Smith 👏 | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🇮🇳
— England Cricket (@englandcricket)

Yesss!

Now that's how you counter-attack! 💥

Batted, Jamie Smith 👏 | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🇮🇳
— England Cricket (@englandcricket)

Hahahaha!

Jamie Smith to Prasidh Krishna before Drinks break :
— 🅰️ J (@EHuman0)

Smashed!

4,6,4,4,4 BY JAMIE SMITH AGAINST PRASIDH IN THE SINGLE OVER...!!!
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns)

He is best in there rn!

Jamie Smith always rated you my boy
— y2j (@Y2J_Requiem)

LOL!

Prasidh Krishna complaining to ICC about Jamie Smith's brutality in tests 💀
— Bruce Wayne (@_Bruce__007)

Yes he is doing that!

"Oh, look at Jamie Smith go! He's playing with that same fearless flair we’ve seen from Rishabh Pant"

- Commentators in the commentary box.
— 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐡𝐢𝐚𝐧™ (@Rishabhian_17)

Runs coming leaking like waterrrr!