Jamie Smith breaks Kamran Akmal’s long-standing Test record against India

BIRMINGHAM: England wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith etched his name in the record books on Friday by smashing the fastest Test century against India by an English batter, surpassing the previous record held by former Pakistan cricketer Kamran Akmal.

Playing in the ongoing second Test of the five-match series at Edgbaston, the 24-year-old came in at number seven during the first session on Day 3 and launched a brutal assault on the Indian bowlers, dispatching deliveries to all parts of the ground.

Smith brought up his maiden Test century off just 80 balls, reaching the landmark with a boundary off Ravindra Jadeja on the third delivery of the 47th over in England’s first innings.

With this feat, Smith now holds the record for the fastest Test hundred against India by an Englishman and ranks fourth overall on the all-time list, displacing Kamran Akmal to fifth. 

Akmal had scored a century in 81 balls against India in Lahore in January 2006.

For Pakistan, the fastest Test century against India still belongs to all-rounder Shahid Afridi, who scored a 78-ball ton in Lahore in the same 2006 series.

Fastest Test Centuries Against India (by balls faced):

• David Warner (Australia) – 69 balls, Perth (Jan 2012)
• AB de Villiers (South Africa) – 75 balls, Centurion (Dec 2010)
• Shahid Afridi (Pakistan) – 78 balls, Lahore (Jan 2006)
• Jamie Smith (England) – 80 balls, Birmingham (July 2025)*
• Kamran Akmal (Pakistan) – 81 balls, Lahore (Jan 2006)
• Adam Gilchrist (Australia) – 84 balls, Mumbai (Feb-Mar 2001)
• Clive Lloyd (West Indies) – 85 balls, Bengaluru (Nov 1974)
• Ben Duckett (England) – 88 balls, Rajkot (Feb 2024)

Moreover, Smith’s century is also the joint third-fastest Test ton by an English batter in history.

Fastest Test Centuries by English Batters:

• Gilbert Jessop – 76 balls vs Australia, The Oval (Aug 1902)
• Jonny Bairstow – 77 balls vs New Zealand, Nottingham (Jun 2022)
• Harry Brook – 80 balls vs Pakistan, Rawalpindi (Dec 2022)
• Jamie Smith – 80 balls vs India, Birmingham (Jul 2025)*
• Ben Stokes – 85 balls vs New Zealand, Lord’s (May 2015)
• Ian Botham – 86 balls vs Australia, Leeds (Jul 1981)
• Ian Botham – 86 balls vs Australia, Manchester (Aug 1981)

At the time this report was filed, England were in dominant form with the bat, posting 355-5 in 75 overs in response to India’s first-innings total of 587.

Both Jamie Smith and Harry Brook reached their centuries, leading England’s spirited fightback, though they still trailed by 232 runs.

The hosts had a dismal start to their innings, losing three wickets for just 25 runs—including Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, and Ollie Pope. Joe Root chipped in with 22 runs, while captain Ben Stokes departed for a first-ball duck.

For the unversed, England currently lead the five-match Test series 1-0.