It was an Australian domination day on the second day of the third Test at the Gabba. Travis Head and Steve Smith capitalized on a very weak Indian bowling attack and put their team in good shape. Beyond the individual brilliance, however, some interesting statistical milestones were observed today.
Smith Moves to Second on All-Time Australian Test Ton List
Steve Smith’s gritty century took him past the legendary Steve Waugh on Australia’s all-time list of Test centuries. His well-compiled 101 was his 33rd ton in the format, putting him just behind the great Ricky Ponting, who sits at the top with 41 hundreds.
This is a testament to the fact that the consistency of Smith is remarkable. He has gone on to become one of the most prolific run-scoring batsmen in the Test cricket history. Smith’s adaptability in his batting to different conditions and different bowling attacks makes him a nightmare for opposing bowlers.
Continuation of Dominance Over India by Smith
The hundred against India was Smith’s 10th in just 41 innings against the subcontinent giants. This puts him in a tie with England’s Joe Root for the most centuries by a player against India. While Root has taken 55 innings to reach this milestone, Smith’s faster conversion rate indicates his exceptional record against the Indian bowling attack.
The man whose brilliance was crucial for victory against India was good technique and his reading of the spinners. He’s very good at picking up the length of the ball and playing it late which frustrates even the best Indian bowlers.
Travis Head’s Career-Best Knock Puts Australia in Control
Though it was Smith’s century, Travis Head showed his career-best knock of 152, providing the bedrock of what Australians showed. The southpaw batted at an aggressive as well as a rather calm pace. He even punished the loose deliveries to himself. Still, though, there was enough in there for a big one, too.
It’s more or less a reflection of maturity as Test batsman on Head’s part. Though all along, he has had the ability to score runs, consistency was an issue. However, against India he seems to have finally cornered himself and has very aptly become the bedrock of dependability in the Australian batting lineup.
Bumrah continues to be in a crisis mode in front of Australian openers
This notwithstanding, India’s poor showing at bat failed to deter their pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. He went on to prove himself the man of the match with his raw pace and swing. However, the Australian openers were simply impossible to stop.
So far in the series, Bumrah’s average against the Australian openers has been a paltry 4.28. He has dismissed Usman Khawaja thrice in just 70 deliveries and Nathan Lyon four times in 52 deliveries. It indicates that Bumrah has a weakness against the new ball and that it has been very effectively utilised by the Australian openers.
This is one of the weak points of the Indians against the openers. Now if India needs to get back in the series, they will need Bumrah to create an opening and take a few early wickets to put them under pressure, something that Australia won’t anticipate.
A Fight of Will and Determination for Both Teams
Now, thanks to the centuries by Smith and Head, India will have to fight back in the remaining days of the Test and put themselves back into the game with a reasonable target against the remaining batsmen from Australia.
To cash in on that commanding start for Australia, that toil for them now in trying to translate their dominance into a series win shall finally begin to gain momentum. Winning this Test, therefore, would be a bold declaration going into the Ashes.
This would turn out to be quite an intriguing, close, and exiting Gabba Test. Both the teams would look to go all out for a victory in the match as the results may have a good impact on the Border-Gavaskar Trophy path.
