Smith's 80-ball hundred has India on the back foot

Jamie Smith produced the joint-third fastest century by an Englishman with a stunning 80-ball effort that leaves England 249 for 5 at lunch on day three of this second Test.

They still trail India by 338, and the scale of Smith's feat was underlined by the fact he came to the crease to face a hat-trick ball. Mohammed Siraj had prised out Joe Root and Ben Stokes in successive deliveries in the second over of the session. Smith walked out, drove the hat-trick delivery for four down the ground and walked off for the interval unbeaten on 102, his second Test hundred, with 17 boundaries that not only sent India into a spin, but kept Harry Brook in the shade, on 91*. The 172 in these first 27 overs at Edgbaston is the third-most India have conceded in a session.

Brook began the day on 30, angling for consolidation at first before roused by Smith into providing 60 off 72 in a sixth-wicket stand currently reading 165 off 154. Initially, England had hoped he and Root, with two 300-plus partnerships between them, would see out the session only for them to part 10 deliveries into the morning.

Root over-balanced to tickle an edge down the leg side through to Rishabh Pant. If that was a little bit of good fortune for Siraj, it was all him for the next delivery, as a snorter - leaping off a short length, scorching the gloves as Stokes attempted to protect his neck - gave England's Test captain his first golden duck in the format. It was only the second time England's top six had provided three noughts.

It was immediately from that point of disarray, with England 84 for 5 in the 22nd over, trailing by 503, that Smith unleashed his astonishing counterattack.

The keeper-batter was more or less a-run-a-ball up until he locked horns with Prasidh Krishna in the over before the drinks break. With Shubman Gill chasing the match earlier than he needed to, Krishna was ordered to bounce Smith, who cashed in handsomely with four fours and a six smashed high over fine leg, taking the over for 23.

Remarkably, Gill persisted with Krishna and the short-ball tactic and, as expected, Smith tonked the first ball of this new over for another six over backward square leg. The previous over had seen Smith move to his sixth fifty-plus score from 43 deliveries.

Further shifts came with consecutive boundaries off spinners Washington Sundar (two fours through cover) and Ravindra Jadeja (a cut through point, then a launch back over the left-armer's head), bringing Smith in with a shout of taking the record for England's fastest Test century.

He was 84 from 62 deliveries, needing 16 from nine to take the record outright with the uncertainty of whether Gilbert Jessop achieved the feat from 72 or 76 deliveries. Alas a slowdown as lunch approached, while sensible, meant that opportunity passed him by.

Nevertheless, the century within the session came with three deliveries to go, as Smith lifted Jadeja down the ground and then smeared him through midwicket. Edgbaston roared and then once more as Smith and Brook strolled off, alongside a shellshocked India who, despite losing control, should regroup and remember they still hold a considerable lead.