Steve Smith Hits 34th Test Century In IND vs AUS Boxing Day Test, Sets Record For Most Hundreds Against India

Steve Smith brought up his 34th Test century and second of the ongoing IND vs AUS BGT series on Day 2 of the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.

Steve Smith has now entered the list of top 10 century hitters in Test history.

Source : X: @cricketcomau

Steve Smith notched up his second consecutive Test century of the India vs Australia Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) series on Day 2 (December 27, Friday) of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). This century marked Steve Smith's 34th in Test cricket, the second-highest among active players, trailing only Joe Root's 36. He also solidified his record as the player with the most Test hundreds against India, with 11 to his name.

Continuing from his overnight score of 68*, the 35-year-old played a patient and well-crafted innings, scoring his century off 167 balls, including nine fours and two sixes, to put Australia in a strong position. This century marked Smith’s 34th in his 113th Test match, following his first century of the ongoing series in the previous Test in Brisbane.

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11 Test 100s for Steve Smith against India! More than anyone else in history 👏 #AUSvIND | #MilestoneMoment | @nrmainsurance pic.twitter.com/SO8tnwPds4

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 27, 2024

Smith also moved past Joe Root to claim the record of scoring most Test centuries against India. He tops the list with 11 tons in just 43 innings.

Most Test Centuries Against India

1. 11 centuries in 43 innings: Steve Smith
2. 10 centuries in 55 innings: Joe Root
3. 8 centuries in 30 innings: Gary Sobers
4. 8 centuries in 41 innings: Viv Richards
5. 8 centuries in 51 innings: Ricky Ponting

Smith's century put Australia in a commanding position with the hosts being 454-7 at Lunch on Day 2 of the IND vs AUS Boxing Day Test, setting themselves up for a huge first-innings total. While the innings wasn’t flawless, it highlighted his resilience and skill. He weathered challenging phases of the match, especially while seeing off Jasprit Bumrah’s lethal spells, played the percentages and once again demonstrated his ability to construct innings under pressure. Smith also showed glimpses of aggression as his unbeaten knock of 139 runs (at Lunch) included as many as three sixes.