He has packed more into the past 12 months than most have managed in the seven years since.
Next week’s third Test at Lord’s will mark the first anniversary of Smith’s Test debut on the same ground.
Since then he has been out in the nineties in his third Test, made his maiden hundred in his fourth, missed a tour of New Zealand to become a father for the first time, struggled at his first international tournament and been made an opener – a position he had never held in professional cricket – in England’s white-ball teams.
On day three of the second Test at Edgbaston came the moment to top all of those others, on the field at least.
The 24-year-old crashed 184 not out against India, registering the highest score made by an England wicketkeeper in a men’s Test to take the record from the man who tipped him for the top, Stewart.
Much was made of how harsh it was for England to drop Ben Foakes, the world’s best gloveman and an able batter, in favour of Smith at the start of last summer.
Little thought was given to how challenging it must have been for Smith to not only replace the man he sat next to in the Surrey dressing room but also impose himself and be the aggressive number seven England craved.
This innings at Edgbaston was England’s wish in perfect technicolour.
Smith emerged after Joe Root and Ben Stokes had been dismissed by consecutive deliveries. He drove his first delivery for four before he set about flaying India’s bowling to all corners of this ground in an epic partnership of 303 with Harry Brook.
Smith flogged anything short and creamed drives whenever the ball was full.
When Prasidh Krishna’s bouncer ploy was pumped for 23 runs in one over, Stokes was applauding high above his head in the dressing room.
Smith was out hooking in Leeds last week but, as the Brendon McCullum mantra goes, here he ‘walked towards the danger’.