Steve Smith surpasses Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar to achieve this benchmark
Steve Smith surpasses Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar to achieve this benchmark
After serving 12 month ban for his role in the ball tampering incident in Soouth Africa, Austraila’s Steve Smith made his come back to Test cricket with a valiant century to save Australia on the opening day of the Ashes series at Edgbaston on Thursday.
Australia looked patchy at 122/8 against England, until, Steve Smith flouted all odds to take his team total to 284. Smith made 144 runs to fetch his 24th Test century in 118 innings and became the second fastest batsman to reach the benchmark. Only Donald Bradman has achived this hight in fewer innings (66). Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar took 123 and 125 innings respectively.
Steve Smith is now identical to Greg Chappell, Viv Richards and Mohammad Yuusuf on 24 Test hundreds. Only six Australian batsmen have more Test centuries now.
Furthermore, Steve Smith has nine centuries in 42 innings and averages over 60 in the Ashes. Five of his nine centuries have come in the last seven Ashes Tests.
The former captain, disregarding the boos of the crowed, said that he had considered to end his career after the infamous scandal in South Africa.
"There were times throughout the last 15 months where I didn't know if I was ever going to play cricket again," Smith said after his masterful knock.
Steve Smith’s six hour long innings came to an end, when Stuart Broad eventually bowled him out.
Stuart Broad claimed 100th Test wickets against Australia, completing an innings haul of 5/86.