An English middle order with almost 25,000 Test runs between them managed just 25 in Rawalpindi. It took the mischievous, moustachioed Sajid Khan just over a session to dismiss all four of Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook and Ben Stokes: he celebrated them all by slapping his thigh and pointing to the sky, and all soon had England’s rookie No. 7 in his sights.

Instead, Smith chose his moment to take out Sajid in stunning fashion, demonstrating his ability to effortlessly slide through the gears that had earned him his first call-up. He defended himself decisively against Noman Ali, the left-arm spinner who dismissed him twice in the second Test, but Sajid launched for five fours and four sixes in an attack that confirmed his rare combination of talent and temperament.

England looked shocked off the pitch during the mid-range collapse, with a sharp turn from the start and several balls flying low. They tried in vain to get out of trouble and it took Smith’s calm head to realize that the slow nature of the turn rewarded playing straight, especially early in his innings.

“If Ben Duckett says it’s hard to sweep, then it’s probably next to impossible,” Smith said. “I took that to heart and definitely tried to do the best I could, even though it could be a good point-scoring shot here. It was just about being a little more selective.”

He made nine runs off his first 32 balls and slowly built a partnership with his Surrey teammate Gus Atkinson, before sensing his opportunity to put Sajid under pressure. Twice in succession he skipped off the pitch and dragged it over midwicket: first along the ground and then along the rope, despite an athletic attempt by Saim Ayub to parry the ball back into play.

This was Smith’s chance. “I felt like he changed his plans a little bit and went a little bit broader,” he said. “It felt quite the same with him on one side and the left-arm spinner on the other. We thought, ‘How can we try to change the momentum of the game, and maybe dictate the terms a little bit in the back end?’ of the innings?’”

Smith’s slog sweeps and leg-side pick-ups earned him occasional looks from the animated Sajid, but eventually forced Shan Masood into a bowling change. For the first time since they racked up 823 runs in the first Test, England’s batsmen made amends: when the seventh wicket stand passed 100, they had emphatically regained the ascendancy.

Atkinson fell soon afterwards, and Smith upped the ante even further by using his feet to launch Zahid Mahmood’s leg-spin for two successive sixes in the space of three balls. He had to drag himself away after miscuing a slog sweep straight up in the air and falling for 89, but his innings had changed not just the day but possibly the series.

This was the scenario England had in mind when they selected Smith at the expense of Ben Foakes, who had scored at a strike rate of less than 40 in India. “We feel he can absorb the pressure… but his challenge is to bring that other side to his game,” said England general manager Rob Key. “We want someone who can have both forms of batting, and we think Jamie Smith can do that.”

While Smith has looked so good during England’s home summer, playing abroad is a completely different matter. It’s not just about dealing with new circumstances, but also the intensity of the environment: Ben Stokes described this tour as “Groundhog Day”, with England’s presidential-level security restricting them to their hotels outside of training and games.

Smith has never set foot in Pakistan and his first experience of wicket-keeping abroad in a Test match posed as many questions about his stamina as his skills. In Pakistan’s first innings in Multan, he suffered a stranglehold on the leg side in the fourth over before missing his only other chance – a knock off Joe Root – some 143 overs later in the blazing sun.

The second Test was even tougher: “You’re not going to get tougher wicket-keeping conditions,” said Brendon McCullum, a man who would know. Smith stood as close to the seamers’ stumps as he had since Under-11 level and, in his opinion, dropped a precious chance when Salman Agha was on 4. He then made 63, putting the match beyond England’s reach.

But Smith has impressed England with his mentality during his first run in their side, with assistant coach Paul Collingwood saying he “never seems to change his behaviour, no matter what”. At 24 years old, it’s an impressive trait. Smith believes he developed while playing with older teammates when he was promoted early in Surrey’s age group system.

He is fast becoming England’s man for a crisis. “I don’t mind those situations: there’s not much to lose and it seems like everything is to be gained,” he said. “I want to be someone who can do it in all conditions – not just at home – and against spin and seam, so to come out here and put in that performance is really nice.”

Smith will be named in the England squad to tour New Zealand when this series ends, but will be unavailable for at least one Test (and possibly all three) due to paternity leave, with his partner due in mid-December. He is yet to make a “firm decision” on how many games he will miss, but on this evidence England will clearly miss him.