Jamie Smith reveals this as the reason for finishing game early in series opener

England won the first Test match by five wickets against Team India earlier this week. During the fourth innings of the match, the hosts decided to keep smashing Ravindra Jadeja and score as many runs as they cane. Their approach of hurrying runs came by thinking that the visitors could bring in their lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah with the new ball to strike some late wickets.

“The runs at that point (when Smith decided to go after Jadeja) were not too many, so I wasn`t expecting him (Bumrah) to come on and bowl (with the new ball), but you`re just never quite sure, especially in cricket,” Jamie Smith was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.

Smith and premier batsman Joe Root were unbeaten during the run chase against India. Facing 84 balls, Root finished the game on 53 runs, including six boundaries. On the other hand, Smith played an unbeaten knock of 44 runs in 55 deliveries, including four boundaries and two maximums.

Smith went fully charged while facing Jadeja by smashing a boundary and two maximums to guide the `Three Lions` to a comfortable victory in the series opener.

In the interview, the 24-year-old said that he believes in his team`s tailenders but did not want to take any risk and wanted to finish the job for the side.

“You don`t know what will happen. I always back our tail but there could be a couple of decent balls and suddenly you`re eight-down and the pressure`s back on you again. It was nice to just get it done and move on,” he said.

“I knew there was a new ball coming and it looks as though I`d exposed Chris Woakes (at No. 8) but, at that point, if I`d hit another couple of sixes in that over, you`re taking all the momentum into the new ball,” added Smith.

In the absence of stalwarts Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin, a young Team India led by Shubman Gill has travelled to England for the five-match Test series.

Despite not having many experienced players on the Indian side, Smith stated they were fantastic throughout all five days of the opening Test match.

“When they`re trying to get 10 wickets and you`re chasing 370, it`s not everyday that gets done. There could have been some head-downs at the end but they kept trying all day. I see a lot of chat about maybe some inexperience on their part but I thought they were fantastic throughout the five days,” said the veteran cricketer, who has also played of 11 Test matches.

After winning the first match, England, under Ben Stokes` captaincy, will lock horns with India for the second Test match. The game is scheduled to be played from July 2 at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham.

(With PTI Inputs)

This article first appeared on Mid Day