The Albany Gazette - Smith and Brook tons lead England revival against India in second Test

England were in dire straits at 84-5 early in the third day after Mohammed Siraj had taken two wickets in consecutive balls, removing star batsman Joe Root and dismissing captain Ben Stokes for a golden duck.

Yet at tea they were 355-5, still 232 runs behind India's first-innings 567 built on captain Shubman Gill's superb 269.

But the follow-on was now all but out of the equation as India looked to level this series at 1-1 after losing last week's first Test at Headingley by five wickets

Smith was a Test-best 157 not out and Brook unbeaten on 140, with their sixth-wicket partnership worth 271.

When Smith came in on a hat-trick, England were over 500 runs behind.

But the 24-year-old, staying true to his attacking instincts, survived Siraj's hat-trick delivery with an off-drive for four after he was criticised for holing out in England's first innings in Leeds.

It was the first boundary in a blistering 80-ball hundred that included 14 fours and three sixes as Smith joined a select group of batsmen to have made 100 runs before lunch in a session of Test cricket.

Smith's second hundred in his 12 Tests equalled Brook's 80-ball effort against Pakistan at Rawalpindi in 2022.

Only Gilbert Jessop, with a hundred off 76 balls against Australia at the Oval back in 1902 and Jonny Bairstow, with a 77-ball ton against New Zealand at Trent Bridge three years ago have scored faster Test centuries for England, in terms of balls faced.

England resumed on 77-3, with the world's two top-ranked Test batsmen in Root (18 not out) and Brook (30 not out) at the crease.

- Siraj double blow -

But, in the second over of the day, Root glanced fast bowler Siraj down the legside and was caught by wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.

And the very next ball, Stokes was undone by a superb rising delivery from Siraj that he could only edge to Pant, with England now 84-5.

It was the first golden duck of all-rounder Stokes' 113-Test career.

India had rested Jasprit Bumrah, the world's number one ranked Test bowler from their side at Edgbaston, in order to protect the fast bowler's fitness in a series where he is expected to feature in just three out of five matches.

But in his absence, Smith -- with blue skies and a largely placid pitch still in the batsman's favour -- smashed 22 runs in a single over from paceman Prasidh Krishna, including a six and four fours.

Smith, showing no ill effects from the strain of keeping wicket for 151 overs in India's first innings, cover-drove recalled spinner Washington Sundar's first two balls for four.

Experienced left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja also suffered the Smith treatment after being lofted for six.

Consecutive fours off Jadeja in the last over before lunch, a straight drive followed by a sweep, saw Smith complete an astounding century.

Brook was 91 not out at the interval after England scored a remarkable 172-2 in the morning session's 27 overs.

India bowled a tighter line after lunch but, having decided against recalling left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav, they rarely looked like taking a wicket.

England's run-rate slowed but Brook, criticised for giving his wicket away on 99 in front of his Yorkshire home crowd in the first Test, didn't make the same mistake at Edgbaston.

His late cut to the third man rope off Krishna took him to a 137-ball century -- Brook's ninth hundred in just 27 Tests.

(O.Robinson--TAG)