England batter Jamie Smith’s promising innings came to an end in dramatic fashion on Day 3 of the first Test against India at Headingley, as he was dismissed for 40 runs off 52 balls by pacer Prasidh Krishna. The dismissal showcased not just disciplined bowling but also exceptional teamwork and field awareness from India’s fielders.
The wicket came as Smith attempted a pull shot off a short delivery from Prasidh. Although he made decent contact, the timing wasn’t quite right. The ball soared toward deep square leg, where Ravindra Jadeja was stationed. Jadeja ran to his right and appeared set to complete the catch, but as he took it, he seemed to slightly misjudge the trajectory. Realizing he was losing his balance and heading toward the boundary ropes, Jadeja calmly tossed the ball back into the air to prevent a six.
That’s when Sai Sudharsan, fielding at deep backward square leg, came into the picture. Already converging on the ball, Sudharsan reacted quickly, moved to his right, and completed the catch just inside the ropes, making it a joint fielding effort to dismiss the English batter.
The smart fielding not only removed a set Jamie Smith, who had looked in good touch, but also lifted the Indian side with a moment of athletic brilliance. Prasidh Krishna, who was rewarded for his consistent short-ball strategy, added a key wicket to his tally as India looked to claw back control in the middle session.
It was a moment that highlighted India’s sharpness in the field and the value of communication and presence of mind between fielders.
