Steve Smith’s cricket career has featured 18 Test centuries and no shortage of highlights, but his performance in Pune topped them all according to a man who has closely watched the skipper’s rise and rise.
Coach Darren Lehmannn, who has seen Smith transform into one of the world’s greatest batsmen since the 2013 Ashes, could hardly have been more impressed with his captain in the first Test.
Smith strode to the crumbling pitch on Friday with Australia 1-10, holding a 165-run lead in the contest.
If the tourists collapsed, as they so often had during a nine-Test losing streak in Asia, then India would boast all the momentum and be chasing a more reachable target.
Instead Smith dug in and scored 109. It was more runs than the top-ranked Test team managed in either innings on the spinner’s paradise.
It meant Virat Kohli’s side had to attempt a world-record chase of 441. They folded meekly as Steve O’Keefe finished with match figures of 12-70.
Smith joined rare company.
Mark Taylor and Damien Martyn are the only other Australians to score a second-innings Test hundred in India, where dustbowls generally deteriorate to a point where facing spin bowling becomes guesswork late in a game.
“It’s probably his best, especially in those conditions,” Lehmann said of the captain’s knock.
“I haven’t seen him so determined.
“He’s always determined, he’s captain of our country and plays really well, obviously, but he knows conditions on that wicket (were tough so) to make a hundred was very special.”
Smith’s only other second-innings ton came in 2015 at the WACA against New Zealand, on a far more unthreatening deck.
Smith was dropped four times in Pune, where Jayant Yadav missed a chance to run the right-hander out on 60.
“You need a bit of luck on a wicket like that,” Smith said.
“I was pleased to score a second-innings hundred here in India, to formulate a different plan to how I normally play and problem solve on the spot.”
Smith has now reached three figures in five consecutive Tests against India, having dominated the 2014/15 series when he served as caretaker captain after Michael Clarke tweaked his hamstring in Adelaide.
Only four other players in Test history have achieved such an incredible run against one side: Don Bradman, Shoaib Mohammad, Neil Harvey and Jacques Kallis.
qwetzen
Guest
And Handscomb had his two best Test innings in India in the same match!
Rob
Guest
He would never say Smith innings was more luck than good management. Lehmann is very much the politician in the very political world of Australian Cricket. You have to be very careful who you cross and who you critic. Steve Smith is the Captain and at the top of his game. Smith, Warner, Wade and Lehmann are very much a team within the team. If they like you and you keep on side you are a chance. To be honest Smith had to get runs after being dropped so many times. You could even look at some phone records and bank accounts after the 3rd sitter went down.
AdrianK
Guest
And it was definitely S Marsh's best 21. For sure.
Ritesh Misra
Roar Guru
Well PLayed Smith. Best innings, no, its simply Lehmann playing mind games and seeking to give his confident captain even more confidence
John Erichsen
Roar Guru
I think Lehmann is getting a touch of the hysterical dramatics with this comment. It could very well be Smith's most important test 100, but most certainly wasn't even close to his best.
DingoGray
Roar Guru
While a hugely important innings on a very difficult wicket, the mere fact he had 5 chances, surely means this can't be seriously considered Smith's BEST INNINGS? Don't get me wrong, the innings was great for Australia and certainly made Australia pretty much unbeatable in that 4th innings, but his BEST INNINGS is a stretch.