Steve Smith equals Root with 10th Test hundred versus India
Australia's batting talisman Steve Smith has ended his lean run with a superb century. Travis Head and Smith ran riot on the second day of the third Test against India in Brisbane, taking Australia to a commanding position. Both batters slammed centuries en route to a double-hundred stand. Meanwhile, this was Smith's 10th Test hundred vs India, the joint-most against the opposition. He equaled England's Joe Root in this regard.
Bumrah shines amid India's bowling struggles
Jasprit Bumrah was India's early star, taking two Australian wickets. But as the ball got older, India's bowlers struggled. Notably, Head joined Smith in the middle with the scorecard reading 75/3. The former dominated the 241-run partnership as he found boundaries for fun after getting settled. His brilliance took the Aussies past 300. Smith played the second fiddle but kept the scorecard moving. He eventually fell to Bumrah for 101.
Australia resume after rain-shortened 1st day
After a rain-shortened first day, Australia resumed their innings, with Smith finding his form again under pressure. Despite Bumrah's efforts, India's bowlers couldn't keep the Head-Smith partnership in check. This has set a challenging task for India ahead in the Brisbane Test match. Meanwhile, this was a much-needed hundred for Smith as his previous score in this series read 2, 0, & 17.
Do you know?
This was Head and Smith's second 200-plus stand against India in Tests as they added 285 runs in the 2023 ICC World Test Championship final at The Oval. As per Cricbuzz, only Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke recorded more 200-plus partnerships for Australia against India in whites (3).
Smith's record against India and overall performance
Smith departed for 101 off 190 balls (12 fours). As mentioned, this was Smith's 10th Test ton against India as he equaled Root. Smith now boasts 2,162 runs against India in 22 Tests at an average of 61.77. As per ESPNcricinfo, this is the highest average among Australians with at least 1,300 Test runs against India. Six of his 10 50-plus scores against India at home have been converted into tons.
33rd Test hundred for Smith
This was Smith's 33rd Test century as he went past his compatriot Steve Waugh, who owns 32 hundreds. Ricky Ponting (41) is now the only Aussie with more Test tons than Smith. Among active players, only Root (36) owns more hundreds in whites. Notably, Smith also has 41 fifties in the format. Standing in his 112th Test, he has raced to 9,805 runs at 56.35. 4,821 of his runs have come at home at 61.02 (100s: 17).
