Tags: India tour of Australia 2024-25,
Australia vs India, 4th Test at Melbourne, Dec 26-30, 2024,
India,
Australia,
Steven Peter Devereux Smith
Published on: Dec 27, 2024
Scorecard
| Commentary
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In the annals of cricketing rivalry, few players have consistently tormented Indian bowlers like Steven Smith. As India hunts for the final Australian wicket on the second day of the fourth Test in Melbourne, Smith’s mastery against the Men in Blue demands a closer look.
The Numbers Tell the Tale
Smith’s statistics against India are remarkable. No other team has borne the brunt of his consistency and prolific scoring quite like India. Across 43 innings, Smith has amassed 2306 runs at an average of 62.32, the highest he boasts against any Test-playing nation with substantial appearances. While he has a surreal average of 124.57 against the West Indies, it comes from just 15 innings. Against India, Smith’s body of work is both vast and consistently impactful.
Unrelenting Form
India’s bowlers have seldom found respite against Smith. His longest drought between centuries against India spanned ten innings from January 2021 to mid-2023. Even during this period, Smith managed two half-centuries and multiple promising starts. His ability to negotiate India’s formidable attack, featuring the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja, has been a hallmark of his batting.
A Morning of Milestones
Day two in Melbourne belonged to Smith and Australia. Resuming at the crease, Smith reached his 34th Test century in signature style, a perfectly-timed push through covers off Nitish Kumar. True to form, Smith didn’t rest on his laurels post-century, taking the attack to India’s bowlers, including audacious over-the-shoulder sixes against Bumrah and Siraj.
By lunch, Smith’s dominance had steered Australia to a commanding position. His 112-run stand with Pat Cummins, which yielded 100 runs in just 90 minutes, laid the foundation for a formidable total.
A Unique Dismissal Ends a Classic Innings
Smith’s extraordinary innings ended in a manner befitting his enigmatic style. Advancing down the pitch to Akash Deep, he attempted a slap down the ground but managed only an inside edge onto his back leg. The ball, spinning and dribbling like a leg-break from a toddler, dislodged the bails. Smith could only watch in dismay from three meters down the track. Officially recorded as bowled, the dismissal felt more like a comical self-runout, marking a rare blemish in an otherwise magnificent performance.
India’s Bowling Woes
While Bumrah continued to trouble Smith and co., Mohammed Siraj endured a torrid morning. Leaking 46 runs in six overs, Siraj failed to extract the same assistance from the pitch as his teammates. Smith capitalized, dispatching short balls with disdain and charging down the track to punish pitched-up deliveries. Rohit Sharma’s decision to reposition himself at mid-off to guide Siraj underscored the struggles of India’s second pacer.
The Battle Continues
Smith’s innings may have ended, but its impact lingers. Australia, riding on his brilliance, appears poised to dictate terms in this crucial Test. For India, the task ahead is daunting but not insurmountable. Cricket fans, meanwhile, can only marvel at the spectacle of one of the game’s greatest players thriving against one of its finest bowling line-ups.
Smith’s ability to dominate, adapt, and entertain continues to elevate him into the pantheon of Test cricket legends. For India, the hope remains that they’ll soon discover the secret to neutralizing the enigma that is Steven Smith.