England wicketkeeper Jamie Smith welcomed his return to form with the bat as he top-scored with 61 on day one of the second Test against Pakistan at Lord's. His spot in the side had been under scrutiny following one half-century in his prior 14 Test innings, with seven single-figure dismissals. After a poor top-edged pull in the first Test at Headingley, Smith rebuilt at Lord's, where England closed on 248-9.
Speaking to Sky Sports Cricket, Smith said: "I have found it tough. It has been a lean period for me with some indifferent scores so I was trying to ride the wave a little bit." He added that working back at Surrey early in the season helped fix a front-foot technical issue developed over the winter.
Smith's aggression drew criticism during England's 4-1 Ashes defeat, where he averaged just 23.44, including a dismissal to Marnus Labuschagne in Sydney labelled "witless." Sky Sports Cricket's Nasser Hussain noted that after easy early success, the spotlight is now on how Smith responds to lean patches.
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing