Birmingham, July 4 -- England's young prodigy Jamie Smith breezed past captain Ben Stokes' record to script the joint third-fastest Test century for the Three Lions, following his flamboyant exploits on Day 3 of the second Test against India at Edgbaston.

England lost its batting maestro Joe Root (22) and Stokes (0) in a whisker, forcing Smith to come out and orchestrate a rescue act with Harry Brook holding the other end. With the hosts reeling at 84/5, Smith embraced 'Bazball' to its last bit and pushed India's back against the wall.

The 24-year-old tantalised the Indian bowling unit, bereft of the world's best Jasprit Bumrah. He relentlessly swept and drove the ball towards the boundary rope to smash a hundred in 80 deliveries, the j...