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.