England’s wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith has etched his name in the record books with a world record-breaking feat during the first innings of the third Test against India at Lord’s. The 23-year-old achieved the milestone of 1000 Test runs in just 1303 balls, making him the fastest wicketkeeper-batter in history to reach the landmark based on balls faced.

Smith surpassed the previous record held by Pakistan’s Sarfaraz Ahmed (1311 balls) and legendary Australian Adam Gilchrist (1330 balls). His exceptional strike rate and fearless shot-making have been the hallmark of England’s aggressive new-age Test batting, and this record further cements his meteoric rise in international cricket.

1. 1303 balls – Jamie Smith (England)
2. 1311 balls – Sarfaraz Ahmed (Pakistan)
3. 1330 balls – Adam Gilchrist (Australia)
4. 1367 balls – Niroshan Dickwella (Sri Lanka)
5. 1375 balls – Quinton de Kock (South Africa)

Adding to the accolades, Smith also became the joint-fastest wicketkeeper to 1000 Test runs by innings — taking just 21 innings to reach the mark, equaling Quinton de Kock’s record. He now sits ahead of notable names like Jonny Bairstow, Kumar Sangakkara, and AB de Villiers.

• 21 innings – Jamie Smith (England), Quinton de Kock (South Africa)
• 22 innings – Dinesh Chandimal (Sri Lanka), Jonny Bairstow (England)
• 23 innings – Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka), AB de Villiers (South Africa)
• 24 innings – Jeff Dujon (West Indies)

Smith’s milestone follows his blistering form in the second Test at Edgbaston, where he struck a record-breaking 272 runs across both innings, laying the foundation for England’s series resurgence.

Meanwhile, Day 2 of the Lord’s Test witnessed an early Indian fightback, with pacer Jasprit Bumrah rattling the English middle order. After Joe Root reached his 37th Test century on the first delivery of the day, Bumrah dismissed Root, Ben Stokes, and Chris Woakes in a fiery opening spell, pegging England back from a strong overnight score of 251/4.

Despite the collapse, the focus remained on Smith, whose blistering form and record-setting performances are fast making him one of England’s most valuable assets in the longest format.

With the series finely poised, Smith’s rise adds an exciting new dimension to England’s Test future — and the cricketing world is taking notice.