Steve Smith is showing amazing form during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. In a stunning match in Melbourne, he scored his 34th Test century on Friday, hitting 140 runs off 197 balls. His innings included 13 fours and 3 sixes, with a strike rate of 71.07. This performance silenced doubts about his place in the Australian team.
Before this series against India, many fans were unsure if he should play since he had scores of 0, 17, and 2 in the previous games. But then, he bounced back with 101 runs in Brisbane and joined an elite group of Test cricketers. Only six players have more centuries than him: Sachin Tendulkar (51), Jacques Kallis (45), Ricky Ponting (41), Kumar Sangakkara (38), Joe Root (36), and Rahul Dravid (36). He has now matched legends like Brian Lara, Sunil Gavaskar, Younis Khan, and Mahela Jayawardene.
Former Australian cricketer Kerry O’Keeffe praised Smith’s amazing form on Fox Cricket, saying, “One of his favorite shots is hitting the ball back past the bowler. When he does that, you know he’s in top shape.” Smith’s innings ended right after lunch when he hit the ball onto his pad, knocking over his bails. O’Keeffe also compared Smith to tennis star Rafael Nadal, saying, “The MCG is like Roland Garros for Rafael Nadal. This is his backyard; he has four Test centuries here, and he averages in the 80s at the MCG.”
On Day 1, debut player Sam Konstas scored 60 runs off 65 balls, giving Australia a solid start. Usman Khawaja (57), and Marnus Labuschagne (72) also contributed with half-centuries, helping Australia post a big score of 474 runs in 122.4 overs on Day 2.
Meanwhile, the Indian batting lineup struggled after a good start. After Yashasvi Jaiswal scored 82 and Virat Kohli got 36, the team fell apart quickly. They lost both Jaiswal and Kohli in consecutive deliveries after losing Rohit Sharma (3) and KL Rahul (24) early. India ended Day 2 at 164/5, trailing by 310 runs.
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