Former Australia skipper Steve Smith reached his 27th Test century on Friday as he roared back to form against India in the third Test on his home ground.
The 31-year-old struggled for runs in the first two Tests, failing to get out of single figures, but was positive from the start at the Sydney Cricket Ground to bring up another ton in his 76th Test.
Australia vs India, Sydney Test: Live score, updates and commentary
Smith, who averages more than 60, faced 201 balls and hit 13 boundaries in a near-flawless and patient knock, surviving only an ambitious lbw review on 41.
His efforts helped push Australia past 300 as wickets fell around him with the four-Test series locked at 1-1.
India’s Sachin Tendulkar is Test cricket’s most prolific century-maker with 51.
Here’s how Twitter reacted to Smith’s latest effort:
The moment @stevesmith49 brought up his 27th Test century! @VodafoneAU | #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/C7n447qoFT
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 8, 2021
Most centuries against India in Tests:
— Umang Pabari (@UPStatsman) January 8, 2021
8 - Ricky Ponting
8 - Viv Richards
8 - Gary Sobers
8 - Steve Smith*#AUSvIND
Can’t keep him down for long 💯 #smith #AUSvIND
— Isa Guha (@isaguha) January 8, 2021
Steve Smith's first Test hundred in 22 innings outside Ashes Tests since making 111 on Mar 25, 2017, against India in Dharamsala.
— Deepu Narayanan (@deeputalks) January 8, 2021
In 14 innings against England in the interim, Smith hit six hundreds (and five fifties).#AUSvIND
#StatWatch That’s Steven Smith’s first home Test ton since the 2017 MCG Test.
— Guerilla Cricket #GCFromHome (@guerillacricket) January 8, 2021
That takes him to 27 Test tons, level with Virat Kohli, Graeme Smith & Allan Border. He got there in 136 innings - 10 fewer than Kohli, 69 fewer than G Smith, 129 (!) fewer than Border.#AUSvIND🏏🇦🇺🇮🇳
Most Test 💯 s by Current Players :-
— Pranjal (@Pranjal_one8) January 8, 2021
Kohli - 27
Steve Smith - 27*
Steven Smith now has Joint Most Test Hundreds, What a Player 👏 pic.twitter.com/8pTHzag4Uo
Well played @stevesmith49, you can't cage a lion for too long before it roars! 💯 #AUSvIND #PinkTest @ESPNcricinfo
— Tom Moody (@TomMoodyCricket) January 8, 2021
Tough times never last but tough people do. Steve Smith is back to where he belongs....among the runs. He was the last Australian to score a test century against India...and he’s broken that 2+ year jinx again. Incidentally his third century vs India on this tour...all at Sydney.
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) January 8, 2021
Normal service resumed.......Amen
— Lisa Sthalekar (@sthalekar93) January 8, 2021
What a Batsman ! Makes it look so easy , fidgety but comfortable . #SteveSmith
— Vikram Sathaye (@vikramsathaye) January 8, 2021
Can't keep a big player down for too long. Well batted Steve Smith! 👏👏 #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/lqEDld91Zx
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) January 8, 2021
No Australian batsman scored a hundred in 2018 Test series against India and No Australian batsman scored hundred in first 2 Test against India in this series - And he came, the best one, Steve Smith and scored a memorable hundred in the new year Test at SCG. pic.twitter.com/ERrNdRfTyk
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) January 8, 2021
(With inputs from AFP)