Steve Smith has been in exceptional form since the Test series against India, and he has proven his consistency once again by scoring another Test century in the ongoing series against Sri Lanka. This marks his fourth century in the last five Test matches, a remarkable feat that further establishes his place among the top contemporary batsmen.
This brings Smith at par with Rahul Dravid and Joe Root in the list of Test centuries scored, and this Sri Lanka century will be his 36th century in Test cricket, making him one of the most prolific Test century scorers.
Test Century Number 36: The Stellar Career Milestone for Smith
The timing of the century was crucial as it came to Australia. The team had lost two wickets for 37 runs already when Smith walked into bat. In character, the Australian batsman never flustered and played a match-winning knock that took him to his hundred off 191 balls. That innings was the 36th Test century, but it made him the seventh man to get a century on the Asian subcontinent, making him one of the best overseas batsmen ever on the subcontinent.
In terms of most Test centuries by foreign players in Asia, Smith is ranked third, behind Alastair Cook and Jacques Kallis. This spectacular performance was just a continuation of Smith’s run of good form in recent games. Smith had already achieved a century in the first Test of this series as well as during the Tests played at Gabba and Melbourne, during the Indian tour to Australia. It shows that he is consistent and he has been scoring four centuries in just five Test matches which made him the leader of a class of his own.
Comparing Smith to Virat Kohli’s Recent Form
Smith’s incredible form contrasts sharply with the recent performance of India’s Virat Kohli. Kohli is still considered one of the best players in the world, but he has only scored three centuries in Test cricket since 2020. Smith’s four centuries in five matches speak to the difference in their recent records, and the level of consistency Smith has shown over the past few months.
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Equaling Rahul Dravid and Joe Root
With this century, Steve Smith has joined a very exclusive list of players with 36 Test centuries, which includes Rahul Dravid and Joe Root. Root and Smith are now tied for the most Test centuries among active players, and Smith also sits at 48 international centuries in total, which puts him on par with other batting greats like Dravid and Rohit Sharma. However, among active players, Virat Kohli leads the international century tally.
Top Test Centuries Scorers List
The leader in the Test centuries list is Sachin Tendulkar with 51 centuries. Second in the list is Jacques Kallis with 45 and third is Ricky Ponting with 41. Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara also finds himself at the top list with 38 centuries. Root, Dravid, and Smith all stand at 36 centuries, showing their consistency over the years in the longest version of the game.
Alex Carey Too in Great Form: A Century for the Wicketkeeper
Another batsman who is an Australian and was batting alongside Smith, Alex Carey, was also in impressive form. Alex Carey, who is the wicketkeeper for Australia, hit his second Test century and it came in just 118 balls. The two batsmen Smith and Carey put on more than 200 runs for Australia. Australia has been in a great position since the total has passed 300, and they lost only three wickets at that point.
Australia Dominating the Series Against Sri Lanka
The performance of Australia in this series has been excellent. Smith and Carey have been brilliant with the bat. Their good partnership and individual brilliance have given Australia an upper hand, especially after the early setbacks. Smith’s 36th century and Carey’s aggressive century have made the target set by the Australian side very challenging for Sri Lanka to achieve.
Smith’s brilliant form along with Carey has placed Australia in a very dominating position in the ongoing Test series against Sri Lanka, which also reflects the team’s strength and resilience.
