London: Adding another feather to his cap, star batter Steve Smith on Thursday equalled Steve Waugh’s record of 32 Test centuries for Australia on Day 2 of the second Ashes 2023 Test against England at Lord’s.
Smith now has only Ricky Ponting, who has scored 41 centuries, in his sights on Australia’s all-time Test ton scoring charts. Moreover, playing his 174th innings in his 99th Test, Smith is the fastest to reach the 32-ton mark.
With this latest century, Smith has now equaled Jack Hobbs’ tally of 12 centuries in Ashes, placing them both in second position. The legendary Don Bradman continues to reign supreme at the top of the list with an impressive 19 centuries to his name.
Resuming his innings at 85, just 15 runs shy of reaching his second century at Lord’s, the right-hander batter unleashed a series of boundary shots upon the arrival of the second new ball. Finally, it was a well-executed cover drive off James Anderson’s bowling that sealed a milestone for him.
The 34-year-old also become the fourth Australian to have his name etched onto the Lord’s Test batting honours board multiple times, joining Warren Bardsley (1912, 1926), Sir Don Bradman (1930, 1938) and Bill Brown (1934, 1938) to score multiple Test hundreds at Lord’s, according to cricket.com.au.
This achievement only amplifies Smith’s extraordinary connection with Lord’s, a venue that holds significant moments in his career. It was at the same where he made his Test debut against Pakistan in 2010 and showcased his brilliance by smashing a remarkable 215.
Additionally, during the 2015 Ashes, he left an indelible mark with his outstanding performance at Lord’s. However, it was also at this very ground where he experienced a fiercely unforgettable moment in the 2019 Ashes, when he was brutally concussed by Jofra Archer.
Smith’s scintillating knock of 110 off 184 balls came to an end in the 96th over, when he fell to Josh Tongue as he went hard on the drive and the outside edge went flying to the left of Duckett at gully who showed good reflexes to grab the low catch.
Soon after Smith dismissal, Australia was bowled out for 416 in their first innings.
(IANS)
