Galle, Feb 07 – Australian batting maestro Steve Smith etched his name further into cricketing history, scoring his 36th Test century on Day 2 of the second Test against Sri Lanka at the Galle International Stadium. With this feat, Smith now stands alongside cricket legends Rahul Dravid and Joe Root in the list of most Test centuries, making him the joint-fifth highest century-maker in the format.
Leading Australia in the absence of Pat Cummins, Smith delivered a captain’s knock just when his team needed it most. Walking in at a precarious 37/2 after early dismissals of Travis Head (21) and Marnus Labuschagne (4), Smith faced immediate pressure. His first ball nearly resulted in an lbw, but a Sri Lankan review showed the ball missing the stumps. Unshaken, he took his time, getting off the mark on his sixth delivery before confidently driving Parabath Jayasuriya to the mid-wicket boundary.
By lunch, Smith had settled in with 23 runs, forming a crucial 54-run partnership with Usman Khawaja (36). However, Khawaja fell to Nishan Peiris at the start of the second session, leaving Australia in need of stability. Smith found a solid ally in Alex Carey, and together they stitched a match-defining century stand, wearing down the Sri Lankan bowling attack.
Smith reached his half-century off 98 balls, demonstrating his trademark precision with a well-placed sweep shot. Once past fifty, he looked in total control, effortlessly driving through covers and rotating the strike. Despite a few tense moments—including an edge that landed short of the slips—he remained composed.
His landmark moment arrived in style as he pulled Kamindu Mendis to the boundary, bringing up another Test hundred—his second in as many matches, following his 141 in the first Test.
Adding to his accolades, Smith surpassed Ricky Ponting to become Australia’s highest Test run-scorer in the Asian subcontinent. This milestone came just a day after he broke Ponting’s record for the most Test catches by an Australian outfielder (197). Smith entered this match needing 27 more runs to overtake Ponting’s tally of 1,889 Test runs in Asia, a feat he achieved shortly after lunch with a single off Nishan Peiris.
Smith’s stellar performance has put Australia in a commanding position, reinforcing his reputation as one of the finest Test batsmen of his generation.
