Steven Smith on Friday brought up his 34th Test century on the second day of the fourth Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Steven Smith brings up his second century in as many matches and drew level with the likes of Brian Lara and Sunil Gavaskar on the all-time list. Only six men have more Test hundreds.
The 35-year-old is also now within 100 runs of 10,000 Test runs for his career. Only three Australians – Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting – have reached that milestone. It was Steven Smith’s 11th Test hundred against India. Seven of those have come in Australia, three in India and one (in last year’s World Test Championship) in England. No man has scored more Test centuries against India, with Smith now leaving Joe Root (10 tons v India) behind.
Only one Australian player has more Test centuries than Steven Smith, with former captain Ricky Ponting (41) now just seven centuries ahead of the right-hander in outright third place for most Test hundreds. Steven Smith also went past Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar to score the most hundreds in the Border Gavaskar Trophy. Steve Smith now has 10 tons to his name, while Kohli & Tendulkar has nine a piece. Steven Smith’s record at the MCG is also remarkable – he now averages more than 85 at this venue, with this marking his fifth Test ton here.
Day 2 : Morning Session : Australia continue gallop with Steven Smith’s 34th ton in Test cricket
Steven Smith brought up his 11th Test hundred against India – the most by a batter against this opposition – as Australia continued to gallop away at the MCG on the second morning. India were frustrated from the other end too as Pat Cummins threw his bat around to get a breezy 49 before being dismissed by Ravindra Jadeja. The hosts went to Lunch on 454/7.
Australia had resumed at 311 for 6 after an opening day headlined by the innings of Konstas, and they made positive progress from the start against an India side that appeared flat as nine runs came off the opening over. Jasprit Bumrah remained a threat – although Steven Smith was able to hook him for the fourth six he conceded in the innings – but scoring was free elsewhere as the home side cantered al
The first hour of the morning session threw up an early tussle between Steven Smith and Jasprit Bumrah. The Indian pacer got the angled-in deliveries to straighten from length and square up the Aussie batter. There was repeated acknowledgement from Steven Smith of the quality of the ball, but unfortunately for India, none came with his name on it.
Akash Deep also drew a lot of false shots from Steve Smith but without any success as Australia moved along at a brisk pace. Bumrah’s spell of five overs cost 13 runs – which included a six from Steven Smith – but runs came at a faster pace from the other end as Akash Deep gave away 30 runs in his five. Right after the drinks break, Steven Smith got to his century – 34th in Tests, fifth at the venue – with a drive through extra cover against Nitish Reddy and then laid into a wayward Mohammed Siraj to smash him for a four and a six in the same over.
Steven Smith, though, continued to pummel India, sweeping Jadeja from outside the offstump for a four and welcoming another bowling change – Washington Sundar for Siraj – with a paddle sweep for a boundary.
Steven Smith brought up his century with a pristine cover drive off Nitesh Kumar Reddy, and then took on the struggling Mohammed Siraj, who conceded more than five an over. It was as fluent as Smith had looked for a long time, perhaps even back to the halcyon days of 2019. The century stand with Cummins was raised in 21 overs with the Australia captain showing the danger he can provide when playing positively.
Cummins joined in on the fun at the other end too as India were uninspiring with the ball and sloppy on the field. Rohit Sharma replaced Nitish with Ravindra Jadeja after just two overs for the former, and earned a wicket. Cummins went after a tossed up ball on off-stump from Jadeja but did not connect well enough. Nitish ran to his left from mid-off to complete a diving catch and send the Aussie captain packing for a run short of a fifty.
Cummins was one short of a fourth Test fifty when he picked out long-off against Ravindra Jadeja, who also claimed Starc straight after lunch. Next over, Smith somehow dragged into his stumps when he charged at Akash Deep, edged on to his pads, and watched helplessly as the ball trickled back to dislodge the leg bail. But, with up to three innings remaining against India, he now has a good chance to reaching one of cricket’s rare summits before this series is done.
Rohit turned to his talisman Bumrah towards the end of the session and Starc marked that return with a six over long on first ball. By the end of that over, Bumrah had conceded 94 runs – the most by him in a Test innings, summing up India’s (lack of) grip on the proceedings at MCG. Australia amassed 143 runs in 27 overs at a scoring rate of 5.30 in the session to further enhance their dominance on the game.
Day 2 : Post Lunch Session : India lose Rohit, Rahul early after Australia’s 474
Rohit Sharma’s return to the top of the order was short-lived as he fell in just the second over of India’s reply to Australia’s 474. KL Rahul arrived early and looked primed to take India to Tea break in the company of Yashasvi Jaiswal, until he got an unplayable Pat Cummins delivery at the stroke of the break.
Australia resumed after an eventful morning session on 454/7 but lost two wickets in a jiffy. Mitchell Starc departed in the first over after Lunch, cleaned up by Ravindra Jadeja from round the stumps after playing down the wrong line. India had the rub of the green with Steve Smith’s wicket in the very next over – the centurion danced down for a big shot through the off-side off Akash Deep, but the ball ricocheted off his leg and rolled on to dislodge one bail as he watched on.
Final-wicket stand between Scott Boland and Nathan Lyon lasted for eight overs, with the former reviewing two LBW calls successfully before Jasprit Bumrah returned to wrap up the innings with the wicket of Lyon. The wicket came in Bumrah’s 29th over of the innings – only thrice before had he bowled more in an innings. The change in batting position didn’t bring change of fortunes for the India captain as his dismal run in BGT 2024-25 continued.
Rohit fell in the second over trying to pull a ball that wasn’t short enough, as the leading edge went to Boland at mid-on. Rahul arrived early and looked comfortable in the company of Jaiswal, who too shook off a few early nerves to grow in confidence. Right as the end of the session was approaching, Cummins got one ball to straighten off a length – squaring up Rahul and pegging back his off-stump. India headed into the break on 51/2, ceding more ground to the hosts.
Cummins then struck in his first over of India’s reply when Rohit Sharma, who had returned to the top of the order, spooned a short ball into the hands of mid-on to leave him with scores of 3, 6, 10 and 3 in the series and 155 runs at 11.07 in his last 14 innings. The talk of whether his Test career extends beyond Sydney is unlikely to abate. India were 51 for 2 at tea when Cummins added to his hall-of-fame wickets with a wonderful delivery to castle KL Rahul.
Day 2 : Afternoon Session : Late flurry of wickets push India on the back foot despite Yashasvi Jaiswal’s valiant 82 runs
Australia kept their vice-like grip around the MCG Test despite a fighting effort from Yashasvi Jaiswal as India went to stumps at 164 for 5, trailing the hosts by 310 runs. Scott Boland and Pat Cummins made that possible after Steve Smith scored his 11th Test century against India – the most by any batter against this opposition in the format.
Jaiswal shrugged off his four ordinary outings in Adelaide and Brisbane to get stuck into the Australian bowlers on Day 2 to carve out a fine essay. He was proactive with his feet movement against the pacers and negotiated Nathan Lyon with a lot of comfort in favorable batting conditions. He went after Mitchell Marsh too, setting himself up for a three-figure score.
Jaiswal, who had yet to contribute in a first innings of this series having had problems against Mitchell Starc, provided encouragement for the masses of Indian support among a record second-day crowd of 85,147, while Kohli attempted to channel the form revival that has been shown by Smith in recent weeks.
Kohli did well to buckle down and offer judgment to balls on the fifth stump channel as the Aussie quicks repeatedly tempted him to play at it with a populated slip cordon on their toes. Kohli, who was seen simulating this situation with Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna in the nets on the eve of the game, successfully let balls go. With edges not carrying either, the pacers bowled straighter at him that allowed Kohli to get his innings going with flicks and pulls.
As he had during the 161 in Perth, Jaiswal wasn’t afraid to take on the short ball with ramps over the slips and also drove handsomely down the ground. He launched Mitchell Marsh’s medium pace over long-on for six, and then cut Boland for a boundary to bring up the half-century and have sights on a hundred when his innings was brought to an abrupt end. It was Jaiswal’s call, but always looked a very tight run. Kohli barely moved from his crease. Cummins calmly threw the ball on the bounce to Carey, who was celebrating before he broke the stumps.
Kohli, the day after being fined for his shoulder contact with Sam Konstas, wore a look of determination from the start of his innings. After a series of dismissals pushing at deliveries away from his body, Kohli left alone plenty as Australia’s quicks tried to tempt him, although he did unfurl one pristine cover drive. When Starc strayed on to the pads, Kohli flicked him powerfully through midwicket. Yet, ultimately, the channel outside off proved his downfall, and perhaps the effects of Jaiswal’s run out as well
But in the final hour of day, a few minutes of indecisiveness saw both the batters back in the dressing room. First, Jaiswal fell for 82 to a run out after driving one to mid-on and dashing off for a single. Kohli wasn’t keen and stood his ground, leading to Jaiswal’s dismissal. Seven balls later, Kohli bit the bullet and edged a ball from Scott Boland – the kind he’d let go for majority of the session – to depart for 36. Boland dug his heels in further, dismissing nightwatchman Akash Deep and leaving India five down.
The difference between a fighting response and an underwhelming one for India was the health of the Kohli-Jaiswal stand, which promised to lead the way before being broken against the run of play. India lost three wickets for the addition of just six runs in this period, letting Australia maintain complete control of the game.
Road Ahead on Day 3 for Australia and India
Australia have put themselves into a commanding position in this game. Steve Smith carried on from where he left off yesterday and shepherded the lower order to perfection. The 112-run stand between Steve Smith and Cummins propelled Australia over the 400-run mark. Steve Smith went on to score a brilliant ton, 34th of his Test career. He fell against the run of play but Australia managed to post 474 on the board which is a substantial first innings score.
The Indian bowlers lacked penetration for most parts and the hosts capitalized. In response, Rohit departed cheaply to Cummins as the ploy to move to the top of the order backfired on him. Jaiswal and Rahul were looking solid at the crease but a brute of a delivery from the Australian skipper got rid of the latter on the last ball before tea.
Local hero Scott Boland was part of a late surge by Australia on the second day in Melbourne as they took control of the fourth Test after Steven Smith set up an imposing total with his second hundred in consecutive matches. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli had responded with a century stand but both fell in a dramatic final half-an-hour to leave India with a mountain to climb.
Jaiswal had moved into the 80s when he drove firmly to mid-on and set off for a run to which Kohli didn’t respond and there was no way to beat Pat Cummins’ throw. Two overs later, Boland found Kohli’s outside edge to send the MCG into raptures and, all of a sudden, hope of anything close to parity on first innings looked a long way off. To cap off Australia’s day, Boland had night watcher Akash Deep taken at leg gully with minutes remaining as India lost 3 for 6.
It was a day that started and ended badly for India. They were insipid in the field during the morning as Australia ransacked 143 runs off 27 overs with Smith, who went to his 34th Test century to be within 51 of reaching 10,000 Test runs, and Cummins combining to add 112 for the seventh wicket.
Cummins then struck in his first over of India’s reply when Rohit Sharma, who had returned to the top of the order, spooned a short ball into the hands of mid-on to leave him with scores of 3, 6, 10 and 3 in the series and 155 runs at 11.07 in his last 14 innings. The talk of whether his Test career extends beyond Sydney is unlikely to abate.
Kohli looked in a good headspace from the word-go as he was showing good judgement in leaving balls outside off and playing late. Jaiswal struck a fifty and switched gears as the runs flowed for India. The 100-run stand between the duo brought the visitors right back into the contest but then the flow of the game changed.
Jaiswal’s keenness to take on a tight single resulted him in being run-out. That perhaps played on Kohli’s mind and he nicked off soon after to Boland. The nightwatchman, Akash Deep, also fell at the fag end of the day to Boland. India still trail by 310 and they still need 111 more to avoid the follow-on. The ball is in Australia’s court as Day 2 end provided a bitter wound to Indians.