Steve Smith hits his 25th Test hundred, second of the match. (Reuters)
Former Australian skipper Steve Smith has returned to the international cricket with a special task to accomplish as the classy batsman hit the second century of the match on Day 4 of first Ashes Test at Edgebaston on Sunday. He has hit almost half of Australia’s runs himself in the first Test and have rescued Australia from a problematic situation to commanding one as Smith made a quick 103 off 147 balls. Australia now lead by 146 runs on Day 4.
Steve Smith is in an ominous form and it is his 6th Ashes ton in his last 10 Ashes innings. Resuming on 124-3, Smith continued to put England to the sword, passing 100 post-lunch. England have not dismissed Smith with a red ball for a score under 50 since the second innings of the Trent Bridge test in 2015. Despite a full one-year ban, Steve Smith has reached 25th Test hundred in his 65th Test match.
Steven Smith’s last 10 #Ashes innings:
143
141*
40
6
239
76
102*
83
144
51* (ongoing)#ashes2019— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) August 4, 2019
Travis Head settled down after some nervy moments to reach his half-century, before Ben Stokes enticed an edge from Head, who departed for 51 to bring an end to a partnership worth 130.
Smith was stripped of the captaincy and handed a 12-month ban by Cricket Australia after teammate Cameron Bancroft was caught on camera attempting to change the condition of the ball with sandpaper during a March 2018 test in South Africa. Bancroft and David Warner were also banned for their part in the incident and returned to test action on Thursday. While Warner has endured his third-worst return in tests in which he has batted twice, Smith has picked up where he left off.
Here are some interesting facts about Steve Smith’s class:
Steve Smith scored his first 100 at The Oval in 2013. Since the start of that innings he is averaging 71.93 in 97 innings. In cricket, you hardly come across batsmen averaging 70 even in 20 inns. To main that average for nearly 100 inns is just INCREDIBLE! #Ashes
— Mazher Arshad (@MazherArshad) August 4, 2019
25th Test century
10th Ashes centuryFirst time getting hundreds in both innings of a Test.
Many more milestones on the way. Welcome back Steven Smith! #Ashes2019
— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) August 4, 2019
Most #Ashes Test 100s
19 – Don Bradman (63 inns)
12 – Jack Hobbs (71)
10 – Steve Waugh (72)/Steve Smith (43)
—
Fewest inns to reach 10th #Ashes 100
37 – Bradman
43 – S Smith
48 – Hobbs
71 – S Waugh#Ashes19#EngvAus #EngvsAus— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) August 4, 2019
Steven Smith's twin tons:
– first in his Test career
– 5th Aus batsman in Ashes
– 8th batsman overall in Ashes
– 2nd batsman at Edgbaston#Ashes2019— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) August 4, 2019
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