SYDNEY, (Reuters) – Steve Smith completed his fourth century in as many matches yesterday as Australia compiled a daunting first innings total in the final test against India.
Smith joined South Africa’s Jacques Kallis as the only batsmen to score hundreds in every match of a four-test series with a composed 117 as Australia declared on 572 for seven shortly after tea on day two at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Shane Watson, unbeaten overnight, fell for 81 in the morning session with Shaun Marsh (73) the only batsman to get out in the second session. A half-century from Joe Burns (58) meant Australia’s top six batsmen made at least a fifty.
Burns and Ryan Harris fell at the start of the third session to give India paceman Mohammed Shami his second five-wicket haul in tests.
Watson and Smith added 196 for the third wicket after openers David Warner (101) and Chris Rogers (95) put on an even 200 on the first day as Australia’s top order cashed in on a flat pitch perfect for batting.
Smith continued his extraordinary run of form, following up his 162 not out in the first test in Adelaide, 133 in the second test in Brisbane and 192 in the third test in Melbourne with another hundred.
Only Kallis, who made hundreds in all four tests against the West Indies in 2003-04, had achieved the same feat.
Smith, who replaced the injured Michael Clarke as captain for the second test, also set a new record of his own, becoming the first batsman to score hundreds in his first three tests as skipper.
Resuming on 82, he reached his eighth test ton off 168 balls when he smashed a full toss from Indian fast bowler Umesh Yadav for a boundary.
Yadav gained a small measure of revenge when he dismissed Smith just before the interval, finding the edge off an attempted drive and giving wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha a simple catch behind the stumps.
Watson, batting cautiously after a lean run in the three previous tests, looked set to register just his fifth test hundred since making his test debut a decade ago, only to throw his wicket away with a rash shot.
He was caught by Ravichandran Ashwin at deep midwicket off the bowling of Mohammed Shami, marking the 24th time he had made a test half-century but failed to go on and reach triple figures.
Marsh, run out for 99 in the drawn Melbourne test, also missed out on a hundred when he was caught behind off Shami, while Burns, playing in his second test, registered his first 50 with a composed display, highlighted by nine boundaries.
Harris smashed Bhuvneshwar Kumar for 19 runs in an over and brought the crowd to their feet with his knock of 25 from nine deliveries. The quick runs from Harris prompted Smith to declare the innings.
Scoreboard
Australia 1st innings (Overnight: 348-2)
C. Rogers b Shami 95
D. Warner c Vijay b Ashwin 101
S. Watson c Ashwin b Shami 81
S. Smith c Saha b U. Yadav 117
S. Marsh c Saha b Shami 73
J. Burns c Rahul b Shami 58
B. Haddin not out 9
R. Harris c Ashwin b Shami 25
Extras (lb-6 w-7) 13
Total (for 7 wickets declared, 152.3 overs) 572
Fall of wickets: 1-200 D. Warner,2-204 C. Rogers,3-400 S. Watson,4-415 S. Smith,5-529 S. Marsh,6-546 J. Burns,7-572 R. Harris Did not bat: M. Starc, N. Lyon, J. Hazlewood Bowling B. Kumar 34 – 5 – 122 – 0 U. Yadav 27 – 5 – 137 – 1(w-2) M. Shami 28.3 – 3 – 112 – 5(w-1) R. Ashwin 47 – 8 – 142 – 1 S. Raina 16 – 3 – 53 – 0
India 1st innings
M. Vijay c Haddin b Starc 0
L. Rahul not out 31
Ro. Sharma not out 40
Extras 0
Total (for 1 wicket, 25 overs) 71
Fall of wickets: 1-0 M. Vijay
To bat: A. Rahane, S. Raina, W. Saha, R. Ashwin, M. Shami, U. Yadav, B. Kumar Bowling M. Starc 6 – 2 – 17 – 1 R. Harris 7 – 1 – 17 – 0 J. Hazlewood 4 – 1 – 10 – 0 N. Lyon 8 – 1 – 27 – 0 Referees Umpire: Kumar Dharmasena Umpire: Richard Kettleborough TV umpire: Simon Fry Match referee: Roshan Mahanama
