Steve Smith not only equalled Virat Kohli’s tally of 27 Test centuries but also became the second-fastest batsman to reach the landmark.
Smith achieved the feat on the second day of the third Test against India at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Friday.
Smith, who roared back to form, took 136 innings to hit his 27th ton in the longest format while Kohli and former India batsman Sachin Tendulkar had taken 141 innings to achieve the feat. Also, during the course of his innings, Smith surpassed Kohli’s run tally of 7,318 runs in the longest format of the game. The right-handed batsman now has 7,368 Test runs.
Legendary cricketer Don Brdaman is the fastest batsman to hit 27 Test centuries. He had achieved the feat in 70 innings.
Meanwhile, India openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill put on 70 runs for the opening wicket to give the middle-order batsmen a solid platform. Interestingly, it was India’s first 50-plus stand for the opening wicket in 14 innings.
The visitors have struggled in recent times to find a solid opening pair, but the return of Rohit made it possible in the ongoing third Test as he combined beautifully with newcomer Shubman Gill.
The duo showed great composure against the fierce Australian bowling line-up and made sure they did not play any flashy shot outside the off-stump. They followed the rulebook and ensured that the Australian bowlers erred in their line and capitalised on the bad balls.
Earlier in the day, Australia was bundled out for 338 in their first innings. For India, Jadeja bagged four as he returned with the figures of 4-62 while Bumrah and Saini picked two wickets apiece.
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