During the second Test between India and England, Jamie Smith's aggressive batting display against Prasidh Krishna drew a sharp reaction from former Indian coach Ravi Shastri. Smith took Krishna to the cleaners, scoring 23 runs in a single over, which included multiple boundaries and a six.
The incident occurred during England's innings, where Smith, along with Harry Brook, was attempting to rebuild after a shaky start. India had gained an early advantage by taking quick wickets, but the counter-attacking partnership between Smith and Brook shifted the momentum. Smith, in particular, targeted Krishna's short-pitched deliveries, dispatching them to the boundary with ease.
Shastri, known for his colorful commentary and outspoken views, quipped, "Arrogance personified!" after Smith's onslaught. His remark seemed to suggest that Smith's aggressive approach, while effective, bordered on overconfidence. The comment quickly gained traction on social media, with fans and pundits debating whether Smith's batting was indeed arrogant or simply fearless.
Smith's innings was a display of intent and aggression, characteristic of the modern "Bazball" approach adopted by the England team. He showed no hesitation in attacking the Indian bowlers, particularly Krishna, putting them under immense pressure. Smith's quickfire scoring helped England recover from a precarious position and put them back in the game. He reached his fifty off just 43 balls, which was the quickest in the series. He went on to score a brilliant century off 80 balls.
Krishna, on the other hand, had a tough time with the ball. Despite picking up three wickets, he proved to be expensive, conceding 128 runs in his 20 overs. This performance resulted in the worst economy rate for an Indian bowler bowling a minimum of 20 overs in a Test innings. The short-ball tactic employed by Krishna did not work, as Smith kept punishing him.
Earlier in the series, Krishna had taken the wickets of Ollie Pope, Harry Brook and Smith. However, he also set an unwanted record for the worst economy rate in a Test innings by an Indian bowler.
The contrasting performances of Smith and Krishna highlighted the unpredictable nature of Test cricket. While Smith's aggressive approach paid dividends, Krishna struggled to contain the onslaught. Shastri's comment added fuel to the fire, sparking debate about the fine line between confidence and arrogance in the sport.
Shastri has also praised Rishabh Pant in the past for his counter-attacking cricket. Shastri said that Pant knows when to counterattack and that there is a sharp cricket brain behind Pant's batting.