Steve Smith Achieves Milestone in Ashes with 13th Century
Smith's Record-Breaking Performance
Steve Smith has reached a significant milestone by scoring his 13th century in the Ashes, placing him second on the list of players with the most centuries in this historic series. Only Sir Don Bradman, with 19 centuries, stands ahead of him. Previously, Smith was tied with Jack Hobbs at 12 centuries each, but his unbeaten 129 runs in Sydney has now given him the lead.
Notably, Smith has accumulated a total of 13 centuries against England, which ranks as the second highest against a single opponent. Again, Bradman leads this category. Sunil Gavaskar and Joe Root have also scored 13 centuries against the West Indies and India, respectively.
Smith's Impressive Ashes Statistics
As per current records, Smith has amassed 3,682 runs in the Ashes, making him the second-highest run-scorer in this prestigious series, surpassing Jack Hobbs' previous record of 3,636 runs during the Sydney Test. Overall, Smith's aggregate runs against England are second only to Bradman's.
Additionally, this century in the Sydney Test marks Smith's 37th Test century, allowing him to surpass Rahul Dravid and secure the sixth position in the list of players with the most centuries in Test cricket. He achieved this feat in 219 innings, making it the third-fastest record after Ricky Ponting and Kumar Sangakkara.
Captaincy and Batting Records
Smith's record as a captain is equally impressive, with 18 centuries to his name in Test cricket. He has matched Ricky Ponting's record by scoring 11 centuries in home Tests. At the Sydney Cricket Ground, he has five Test centuries, ranking second in terms of runs scored at this venue, just behind Ponting.
Travis Head's Remarkable Achievement
On the other hand, Travis Head had a memorable Test, scoring his first Test century in Sydney. This achievement places him among the select few Australian batsmen who have scored centuries at all seven major Test venues in the country. Previously, this feat was accomplished by Steve Waugh, Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, and David Warner.
Interestingly, out of Head's 12 Test centuries, seven have been scores of over 150. He is among the few batsmen to have such a high number of 150+ scores in their first 12 centuries, with only Bradman, Zaheer Abbas, Virender Sehwag, and Dennis Amiss ahead of him. However, Head's highest Test score remains 175, which is the lowest among those with seven or more 150+ scores.
Fastest 150 in Ashes History
According to available statistics, Head reached 150 runs off 152 balls, which ties for the third-fastest 150 in Ashes history. This score is the second-fastest 150 recorded in Sydney, with the fastest being set by Joe Darling in 1898.