Australia star batter Steve Smith has returned to form with a brilliant century on Day 2 of the third Test match against India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT). Steve Smith also etched his name in the history books with the most centuries against India in all three formats of international cricket.
The batter reached the triple-figure off 185 balls in Australia’s first innings. Smith reached his century by hitting a boundary off Akash Deep followed by a single. He celebrated his achievement with applause from the crowd and teammates. He had recorded scores of 0, 17, and 2 in the last two Tests.
Steve Smith Surpasses Ricky Ponting in Massive Record Against India
Steve Smith surpassed Ricky Ponting in the record for the most centuries against India in international cricket. Smith has scored 15 centuries against India in all three formats. He has scored 3,701 runs at an average of 52.87. Ponting is in second place with 14 centuries, followed by Joe Root (13).
Most Hundreds Against India in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is:
| Player | Team | Matches | Runs | Average | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steve Smith | Australia | 62 | 3701 | 52.87 | 15 | 12 |
| Ricky Ponting | Australia | 89 | 4795 | 47.00 | 14 | 22 |
| Joe Root | England | 59 | 3746 | 52.76 | 13 | 14 |
| Viv Richards | West Indies | 59 | 2924 | 49.55 | 11 | 9 |
| Kumar Sangakkara | Sri Lanka | 97 | 4287 | 44.19 | 11 | 23 |
| Sanath Jayasuriya | Sri Lanka | 103 | 3927 | 40.07 | 10 | 16 |
| Mahela Jayawardene | Sri Lanka | 110 | 4563 | 42.25 | 10 | 25 |
Rohit Sharma’s Stunning Catch Ends Smith’s Knock on Day 2
Smith scored 101 runs before being dismissed by Jasprit Bumrah. He added a 241-run partnership with Travis Head for the fourth wicket, helping Australia reach 300 on Day 2. Team India skipper Rohit Sharma took a brilliant catch to end Smith’s knock.
At the time of writing, the Australia national cricket team were 348/6, with Alex Carey (14) and Mitchell Marsh (8) at the crease. Jasprit Bumrah has been the pick of the bowlers, taking five wickets so far.
Only Ricky Ponting Has More Test Centuries Than Smith for Australia
Steve Smith surpassed Steve Waugh in the list of most centuries in Test cricket. Only Ricky Ponting (41) has more centuries than Smith for Australia. It’s worth mentioning that it was Smith’s 10th Test century against India. The 35-year-old equaled the record of Joe Root for most Test hundreds against India.
Here is the List of Most Test Centuries by Batters:
| Player | Team | Matches | Runs | Average | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sachin Tendulkar | India | 200 | 15,921 | 53.78 | 51 | 68 |
| Jacques Kallis | South Africa/ICC | 166 | 13,289 | 55.37 | 45 | 58 |
| Ricky Ponting | Australia | 168 | 13,378 | 51.85 | 41 | 62 |
| Kumar Sangakkara | Sri Lanka | 134 | 12,400 | 57.40 | 38 | 52 |
| Joe Root | England | 152* | 12,918 | 50.85 | 36 | 64 |
| Rahul Dravid | India/ICC | 164 | 13,288 | 52.31 | 36 | 63 |
| Younis Khan | Pakistan | 118 | 10,099 | 52.05 | 34 | 33 |
| Sunil Gavaskar | India | 125 | 10,122 | 51.12 | 34 | 45 |
| Brian Lara | West Indies/ICC | 131 | 11,953 | 52.88 | 34 | 48 |
| Mahela Jayawardene | Sri Lanka | 149 | 11,814 | 49.84 | 34 | 50 |
| Steve Smith | Australia | 112* | 9,805 | 56.35 | 33 | 41 |
| Alastair Cook | England | 161 | 12,472 | 45.35 | 33 | 57 |
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