Second Only To Don Bradman: Steve Smith Scripts History With Ashes Ton

29.06.2023 - 19:07 sports.ndtv.com

Australian batter Steve Smith has now become the player with the second-highest number of centuries for his country. He accomplished this feat in his side's Ashes second Test against England at Lord's.

Smith continued with his rich run of form in English territory, scoring his 32nd Test hundred. The former Australia skipper produced a delightful 110 runs off 184 balls, studded with 15 boundaries.

Ponting holds the record for the most Test centuries for Australia, with 41 tons. Steve Waugh also has 32 tons like Smith. Notably, Smith is the fastest player to get to the 32-century mark, doing so in the 174th innings of his 99th Test, as per cricket.com.au.

This was Smith's eighth Test hundred in England, the second-most by any foreign player in the country, behind only Sir Donald Bradman's eleven tons.

cricket Australia Cricket Team England Cricket Team Steve Smith Steven Smith Don Bradman Britain Australia

The ongoing Ashes Test series has been filled with controversies but the most hilarious one involved Australia wicket-keeper Alex Carey and a haircut. During the third Test at Headingley, former England skipper Alastair Cook claimed that Carey went for a haircut in London but did not pay the barber for his services. The story was even carried by the English tabloid The Sun resulting in a strong response from the Australian cricket team. Teammate Steve Smith was left fuming by the reports and he went on record to slam the publication for their reporting on the issue.

"See Ya, Jonny": Steve Smith Gets His Revenge On England Star

Steve Smith had the last laugh in his newly evoked rivalry on Day 4 of the third Test of the Ashes 2023 series at Headingley Cricket Stadium on Sunday. Australia and England's encounter at Headingley have never disappointed in the entertainment aspect and even this time it lived up to the expectations. On Day 2 of the highly engaging third Test, Jonny Bairstow took a slight dig at Australia's Steve Smith after his dismissal.

"Get Your Facts Right...": Steve Smith Fumes After Report Accuses Australia Star Alex Carey Of Not Paying After Haircut

Star Australia batter Steve Smith is furious with a report in a British tabloid that his teammate Alex Carey did not pay the barber after a haircut at a shop in Leeds. The Sun carried the report. However, Smith wrote on his Threads account: "I can confirm that Alex Carey has not had a haircut since we were in London. Get your facts right The Sun." Since Jonny Bairtsow's controversial dismissal in the second Ashes Test, things have taken a wrong turn for the two sides. The Australia side was heavily booed by the Leeds crowd during the third Test.

Watch - "See Ya, Smudge": Jonny Bairstow's Cheeky Send-off Leaves Steve Smith Infuriated

The ongoing third Ashes Test between England and Australia is getting more intense with every passing day. Opting to bowl first, England bundled out Australia for 263 on the first day but the visitors whole-heartedly retaliated and bowled out the hosts for 237 on Day 2. Later in the day, Australia lost four wickets with 116 runs on the board at stumps. Despite all this action, one thing which grabbed a lot of limelight was the tensed moment which occurred between Steve Smith and Jonny Bairstow on Friday.