A TIMELY TON OF MOTION

FOR Steve Smith it was a long wait, but history says his 27th Test match hundred has come at breakneck speed.

Despite Smith’s triumphant return to the century club, there was no cork-popping in the Australian dressing room last night, as a rugged fight awaits them at the SCG against an Indian side that refuses to back down.

Australia failed to capitalise properly on the platform set by Smith’s 131 and a 91 from Marnus Labuschagne, and a first innings total of 338 had been chipped down to a lead of 242 by stumps on day two, with India solidly poised at 2-96 in reply.

India may well have won the day, but there was something comforting about watching batting master Smith back to doing what he does best.

Smith’s emotional and almost fired-up reaction to reaching his milestone indicated that the 14 Test innings he had gone without scoring a ton had been weighing on him.

His dazzling 131 was described by commentators as “drought breaking”, but it’s all relative, because only Sir Donald Bradman has scored his many Test hundreds in less time.

Smith joined Test greats Allan Border and Virat Kohli in the 27-ton club, and revealed he has bristled at some of the critiquing of his run of outs this summer.

“I’m reading a lot of things people say that I’m out of form but think I think there’s a difference between out of form and out of runs,” Smith told Fox Cricket at the drinks break.

“It’s just nice to score a few and maybe keep a few people quiet.”

Smith has taken 136 innings to make 27 centuries, compared to 70 for Bradman, 141 for Kohli and 255 for Border.

Batting partner and protégé Labuschagne gave an insight into Smith’s singleminded determination to making big scores.

“It was pretty much business as usual for him,” said Labuschagne.

“He doesn’t talk to me until he’s on about 40, so I know the drill.”

Smith now has Michael Clarke (28 centuries), Bradman (29), Matthew Hayden (30), Steve Waugh (32) and even the great Ricky Ponting (40) in his sights.

Australia lost 8-132 to ruin the golden chance they had to bat India into submission and things could have been quite alarming by stumps if it wasn’t for fast bowling geniuses Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins making desperately needed breakthroughs.

A superb caught and bowled grab by Hazlewood removed the dangerous Rohit Sharma for 26.

And then a superb catch from Cameron Green in the gully off Cummins got rid of young gun Shubman Gill (50) just as he was hitting his stride.