Smith’s Brilliant 140 Leads Australia to a Commanding 474

Tags: India tour of Australia 2024-25,
Australia vs India, 4th Check at Melbourne, Dec 26-30, 2024,
India,
Australia,
Steven Peter Devereux Smith

Revealed on: Dec 27, 2024

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Within the annals of cricketing rivalry, few gamers have constantly tormented Indian bowlers like Steven Smith. As India hunts for the ultimate Australian wicket on the second day of the fourth Check in Melbourne, Smith’s mastery towards the Males in Blue calls for a more in-depth look.

The Numbers Inform the Story

Smith’s statistics towards India are exceptional. No different staff has borne the brunt of his consistency and prolific scoring fairly like India. Throughout 43 innings, Smith has amassed 2306 runs at a median of 62.32, the best he boasts towards any Check-playing nation with substantial appearances. Whereas he has a surreal common of 124.57 towards the West Indies, it comes from simply 15 innings. Towards India, Smith’s physique of labor is each huge and constantly impactful.

Unrelenting Type

India’s bowlers have seldom discovered respite towards Smith. His longest drought between centuries towards India spanned ten innings from January 2021 to mid-2023. Even throughout this era, Smith managed two half-centuries and a number of promising begins. His capability to barter India’s formidable assault, that includes the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja, has been an indicator of his batting.

A Morning of Milestones

Day two in Melbourne belonged to Smith and Australia. Resuming on the crease, Smith reached his thirty fourth Check century in signature fashion, a perfectly-timed push by means of covers off Nitish Kumar. True to kind, Smith didn’t relaxation on his laurels post-century, taking the assault to India’s bowlers, together with audacious over-the-shoulder sixes towards Bumrah and Siraj.

By lunch, Smith’s dominance had steered Australia to a commanding place. His 112-run stand with Pat Cummins, which yielded 100 runs in simply 90 minutes, laid the inspiration for a formidable complete.

A Distinctive Dismissal Ends a Traditional Innings

Smith’s extraordinary innings resulted in a way befitting his enigmatic fashion. Advancing down the pitch to Akash Deep, he tried a slap down the bottom however managed solely an inside edge onto his again leg. The ball, spinning and dribbling like a leg-break from a toddler, dislodged the bails. Smith may solely watch in dismay from three meters down the observe. Formally recorded as bowled, the dismissal felt extra like a comical self-runout, marking a uncommon blemish in an in any other case magnificent efficiency.

India’s Bowling Woes

Whereas Bumrah continued to hassle Smith and co., Mohammed Siraj endured a torrid morning. Leaking 46 runs in six overs, Siraj did not extract the identical help from the pitch as his teammates. Smith capitalized, dispatching quick balls with disdain and charging down the observe to punish pitched-up deliveries. Rohit Sharma’s choice to reposition himself at mid-off to information Siraj underscored the struggles of India’s second pacer.

The Battle Continues

Smith’s innings might have ended, however its influence lingers. Australia, driving on his brilliance, seems poised to dictate phrases on this essential Check. For India, the duty forward is daunting however not insurmountable. Cricket followers, in the meantime, can solely marvel on the spectacle of one of many recreation’s best gamers thriving towards one in every of its best bowling line-ups.

Smith’s capability to dominate, adapt, and entertain continues to raise him into the pantheon of Check cricket legends. For India, the hope stays that they’ll quickly uncover the key to neutralizing the enigma that’s Steven Smith.