Smith ton highest score by an Oz captain in India
NEWDELHI: Steve Smith has made the difference for Australia in the current series against Irndia. In the Pune Test, his century set up Australia’s 333-run win, ending a 13-year winless streak in India. His 19th ton in Ranchi not only helped him become the third-quickest Australian to reach 5,000 runs, it got his team to the highest total in this series.
Smith maintained great form on Day 2 and shared a 191-run stand with Glenn Maxwell, who scored his maiden century.
He then shared a 64-run stand with Matthew Wade and a 51-run stand with Steve O’Keefe before Australia were 451 all out. Smith was unlucky to miss out on a double century, but his 178 not out broke records.
It is the highest score by an Australian captain
in Tests in India. He beat Michael’s Clarke previous mark of 130 , scored in Chennai in 2013. He is only the eighth Australia captain to score a 100 in India, emulating Clarke, Ricky
Ponting, Steve
Waugh, Allan
Border, Adam
Gilchrist, Mark
Taylor and Kim
Hughes.
What sets
Smith apart is that he is the only Australia captain to score two centuries in India. He smashed 109 in Pune, and his Ranchi knock was his sixth century in the last seven Tests against India.
If one looks at overall figures, his 178* is the fifth best by a visiting skipper in Tests in India. Clive Lloyd of West Indies is the only captain to hit a double century, smashing 242 in Mumbai in 1975.
England’s Alastair Cook is next on the list with a score of 190 in Kolkata in 2012. Alvin Kallicharran of West Indies is next with 187 in Mumbai in 1978 while Pakistan’s Inzamam-ul-Haq is fourth with his 184 in Bangalore in 2005.
Smith is only the third captain to hit more than one century in India. Lloyd and Cook have four centuries and Smith two.
If one takes Australian batsmen overall, Smith’s 178 is the third-highest individual score in Tests in India. Dean Jones’ magnificent 210 in the 1986 tied Test in Chennai tops the list followed by Matthew Hayden’s 203 in 2001, also in Chennai. Only 10 Australian batsmen have scored 150-plus in Tests in India. With two centuries in India, Smith joins Hayden, Norm O’Neill, Border, Gilchrist and Damien Martyn.
Clarke and Neil Harvey have the most number of
tons in India.
SMITH IS ONLY THE THIRD CAPTAIN TO HIT MORE THAN ONE CENTURY IN INDIA. LLOYD AND COOK HAVE FOUR CENTURIES AND SMITH TWO.