Australian star Steve Smith continued to seek out his means again into constant runs as he slammed a record-breaking century in opposition to India through the Boxing Day Test on the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), persevering with his love affair with the venue and the World Test Championship ( WTC) 2023 runners-up. Having entered the sequence beneath scrutiny for poor type and being century-less for over a yr, Smith bought some respite with a century on the third Test in Brisbane, which noticed him grind and play some scratchy cricket on his strategy to the century.
However, ‘cometh the hour, cometh the person’. During a vital MCG Test, Smith continued his constant Boxing Day Test report, slamming a dominant 140 in 197 balls, with 13 fours and three sixes and ending the primary session of day two on a excessive.
Now, Smith has 11 centuries in 43 innings in opposition to India, outdoing England’s Joe Root, who has 10 tons in opposition to India in 55 innings. In 23 Tests in opposition to India, he has made 2,305 runs at a median of 64.02, with 11 centuries and 5 fifties. His finest rating is 192.
Now, Smith has risen to joint-sixth highest amongst century makers in Tests alongside Younis Khan (Pakistan), Sunil Gavaskar (India), Brian Lara (West Indies) and Mahela Jayawardena (Sri Lanka).
Australia gained the toss and elected to bat first. Half-centuries from Konstas (60 in 65 balls, with six fours and two sixes), Usman Khawaja (57 in 121 balls, with six fours), Marnus Labuschagne (72 in 145 balls, with seven fours) and Steve Smith (68* ) justified the choice with their superb knocks, pushing Australia to 311/6 on the day one finish regardless of India taking some fast wickets.
On day two, Smith scored a century and had a 112-run stand with skipper Pat Cummins (49 in 63 balls, with seven fours) which helped Australia finish the primary session at 454/7.
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