Steve Smith clears the air in a column about his association with Head and return century: “Much like the WTC Final” To his already long list of criticism regarding low scores in the recent days batting. Steve Smith answered his critics by scoring that trademark century against India in the Brisbane Test.
This was his first score of three-figure marks in 24 Tests. He scored the last Century against England in the Ashes last year. Smith believed that he had passed the test with flying colors for the last month leading to the series.
“It’s just nice to get to three figures, been a while,” Smith said at the end of the second day’s play.
“It’s been tricky, the first couple of games: had a couple of nice balls. Got strangled down the leg side in Adelaide. But I feel like I’ve been batting nice over the last month or so.”
Just sticking to my processes. Trusting that it’ll turn around. You need a bit of luck on these surfaces that we’re playing on at the moment. I think I got a bit of luck early on and, I guess, I made the most of it,” he added. That left Australia resuming their first innings at a score of 28/0 after the opening day got ruined by rain.
Australia were to end up 90 runs at 288 deliveries with Smith putting together 101 runs alongside Travis Head (152) to add 231 runs for the fourth wicket. A partnership that lifted the game toward Australia.
The 35-year-old was all praise for Head, who has made it two tons in two games for the series, adding that the latter’s innings were a replay of last year’s ICC World Test Championship Final between these two sides.
‘Obviously, had a great seat in the house to watch Travis go about his business again. It was a great partnership and it felt a lot like the World Test Championship Final in a way,’ he said.
“The way he came out and just smacked it and I could sort of take a second fiddle and do my thing. It was a really good day.”
As a matter of fact, the applause continued with Smith saying that Head had a great touch and depth as a batter vis-a-vis match-play fielders.
“He’s really got an amazing way of putting the bowlers under pressure right from an early stage. He’s an extremely good eye, and the areas in which he scores, it’s really hard to put fielders in those areas. You see them put the deep point out and stuff but he just finds ways to put it past them,” he said.
“Very beautiful batting; he is confident; it is indeed a pleasure to bat in partnership with him because the score raced very fast. I was just in the sheds with him and he goes, ‘Geez, that went quick today.’ And I’m like,”It did, it sure did.” The Day two, Australia finished 405 for 3.
Initially, the captain of India, Rohit Sharma, opted for bowling after winning the toss. As of now, the series is level at 1-1. India lost to Australia in the second Test. The Indian team would like to earn the upper hand by winning the third Test match.
