Steve Smith Smashes 36th Test Century, Matches Dravid & Root, Breaks Ponting’s Record in Asia!
Australian star Steve Smith once again showed why he’s one of the best in the world. On Day 2 of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Galle, he scored his 36th Test century, joining the elite company of Indian legend Rahul Dravid and England’s Joe Root. With this milestone, Smith is now the joint fifth-highest century-maker in Test history.
Smith Leads from the Front, Holds Australia’s Innings Together – With Pat Cummins missing, Smith took charge as stand-in captain and played a match-defining knock. Walking in at 37/2, with Travis Head (21) and Marnus Labuschagne (4) already back in the pavilion, Smith had a tough job on his hands. Right from the first ball, there was pressure. He survived an LBW appeal, thanks to a review that showed the ball missing the stumps. But he remained calm, reaching his fifty in 98 balls, playing his signature sweep shots with precision. After getting past 50, he looked even more comfortable, rotating the strike well and finding boundaries when needed. There were a few close calls—one ball just missed the slips, another barely clipped the stumps—but Smith stood firm.
His century moment was pure class, bringing up the milestone with a beautiful cover drive for four off Kamindu Mendis. This was his second consecutive century of the series, following his 141-run knock in the first Test.
Breaking Records: Smith Overtakes Ponting in Asia – Smith’s hundred wasn’t the only big moment of the day. He also surpassed Ricky Ponting to become Australia’s highest run-scorer in Test cricket in the Asian subcontinent. This record came just a day after he broke another Ponting milestone—the most Test catches (197) by an Australian fielder. Before the match, Smith needed 27 more runs to overtake Ponting’s tally of 1,889 runs in Asia. He reached the mark shortly after lunch, taking a single off Sri Lankan spinner Nishan Peiris.
Key Partnerships That Helped Australia Take Control – Smith started cautiously, playing himself in before hitting his first boundary—a stylish flick to midwicket off Prabath Jayasuriya—on just his sixth delivery. At lunch, he was batting on 23, having stitched an important 54-run stand with Usman Khawaja (36). But soon after, Nishan Peiris got rid of Khawaja, leaving Australia in a tricky spot. That’s when Alex Carey stepped up. Smith and Carey built a solid century partnership, frustrating the Sri Lankan bowlers and pushing Australia into a strong position.
Smith’s Legacy Keeps Growing – Steve Smith continues to break records and solidify his place among the greatest batters in cricket history. With his latest century, he has matched Dravid and Root, surpassed Ponting’s record in Asia, and played another crucial innings under pressure. With this kind of form, one question remains—how many more records will Steve Smith break before he calls it a day?
