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Steven Peter Devereux Smith was destined to haunt India all summer. His batting heroics reached a climax yesterday at the SCG with his fifth century in six games.
His 105 came off just 93 balls, with 11 fours and a couple of sixes, and shot Australia into the World Cup final on Sunday at the MCG, against unbeaten New Zealand.
Fittingly, it was Smith’s third man of the match award against India this summer, to go with his player of the Test series.
Simply, Steve Smith is a world-class batsman, and by far the best stroke-maker in the Australian line-up. He deserves match-by-match recognition.
First Test against India at Adelaide
Australia won by 48 runs.
Smith, batting five, scored 162* and 52*.
Second Test at the Gabba
Australia won by four wickets.
Smith, captaining the side for the first time and batting four, scored 133 and 28, and was named man of the match.
Third Test at the MCG
Match drawn
Captain Smith wasn’t fazed when the ground announcer inexcusably introduced the Australian team onto the Boxing Day field, led by “Michael Clarke”. Smith replied with 192 and 14, batting four.
Fourth Test at the SCG
Match drawn
Captain Smith, batting four, cracked 117 and 71.
A series total of 769 at an average of 128.17, with a century in all four first innings.
In the two ODIs against India this summer he scored 47 at the MCG in the ti-series, and yesterday’s 105 averages out at 76.
Overall that’s 921 runs against India at 115.12. Phenomenal.
His 182 second-wicket partnership yesterday with Aaron Finch (81) made a big hole in Australia’s 7-328, the first time in eight games India hadn’t captured all 10 opposition wickets.
The next best Australian partnership was 36 for the sixth wicket, between James Faulkner and Shane Watson.
But Australia lost 6-131, with cameos from Watson (28), Mitchell Johnson (27*), Glenn Maxwell (23), and Faulkner (21) further underlining how vital Steve Smith’s consistency is to the side, and how brittle the overall Australian batting can be.
Come Sunday, it’s high time skipper Clarke and opener David Warner contributed to the cause. Yesterday it was 10 and 12 respectively, and neither looked at ease after a run of failures.
Smith needs support as the Black Caps have five consistent run-getters – skipper Brendon McCullum and his opening partner Martin Guptill, first drop Kane Williamson, and the two lower-order blasters Grant Elliott and Corey Anderson.
The tournament stats are a genuine yard-stick:
Batting
Black Caps: Guptill has 532 runs at 76, McCullum 328 at 41, Anderson 231 at 38.50, Elliott 227 at 37.83, and Williamson 222 at 37.
Australia: Smith has 346 at 57.66, Maxwell 324 at 64.80, Warner 300 at 50,and Finch 280 at 38.50.
Bowling
Black Caps: Trent Boult has 21 wickets at 15.76, Daniel Vettori 15 at 18.80, Tim Southee 15 at 27.13, and Anderson 14 at 16.21.
Australia: Mitchell Starc 20 at 10.20, Johnson 12 at 24.66, Josh Hazlewood 7 at 20.85, and Faulkner 7 at 23.
Not a struck match between the two sides, underlined by their only clash at the World Cup at Eden Park – Australia 151, New Zealand 9-152, with Williamson smashing a long-on six off Pat Cummins to win by one wicket.
Will the MCG be the difference come Sunday?