Steven Smith
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 25: Steve Smith of Australia celebrates his century during day three of the First Test Match of the 2017/18 Ashes Series between Australia and England at The Gabba on November 25, 2017 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

Australia’s 45th Test captain Steven Smith is currently the number one batsman in the world and his century in the first Test of the ongoing Ashes in Brisbane proved it rightly. Smith who probably played the best knock of his career in the first Test as it was the beginning of the home Ashes and all the eyes were on the Australian captain. Possessing the Urn is always the prime focus of Australian cricket and his century in the first Test won many hearts and accolades for the Australian captain.

Steven Smith
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA – NOVEMBER 25: Steve Smith of Australia celebrates his century during day three of the First Test Match of the 2017/18 Ashes Series between Australia and England at The Gabba on November 25, 2017 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

Smith now has 21 Test centuries to his name and is definitely on course to score many more, but out of his 21 Test centuries he certainly knows which one is his favourite. The Australian team toured India earlier this year for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and many former players and critics had ruled out the Aussies of the series. However, the Australian side known for their fighting spirit proved the cricketing fraternity why they are the five-time World Cup winners as they defeated India in the first Test in a huge manner.

Steven Smith
Australia’s captain Steve Smith celebrates after scoring a century (100 runs) on the third day of the first cricket Test match between India and Australia at The Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on February 25, 2017: Source- Getty Images

Steven Smith scored a fabulous 109 and was accompanied by his bowlers to win the match by 333 runs. This win ended India’s run of 19 undefeated Tests at home and also helped Australia to register their first win in India since 2004. This was also Smith’s first Test century in the Indian subcontinent.

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Australian Win in Pune Test
Image Courtesy: Web

In his blog for the Cricket Australia he described the innings in Pune as one of his best Test knocks:

“Like I did in Brisbane, I managed to start the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in India this year with a century. Before our team had even set foot in the subcontinent we were written off by everyone, which made my 109 and more importantly our win in Pune that much more satisfying.”

“The Pune wicket was incredibly challenging with the ball spinning sharply from the first session, so by the time our second innings started it was turning big. I haven’t scored too many second-innings hundreds and although I had a few lives along the way, I was proud of the way I stuck to my plans and was able to think on my feet.A good example of that was when I started sweeping India’s off-spinner Ravi Ashwin.In the lead up to the match I didn’t think about sweeping Ashwin, hadn’t practiced it but it just felt right.” 

“With left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja continually beating me on the outside edge, I just took my ego out of play and kept playing for that straight one, confident that if it spun it was going to go so far it would beat the edge. That was my mantra throughout the whole tour but particularly in this game. It was such an important game, the first match of the series, and while it was great to get the result we fell just short in the series as a whole.But that century really set me up for the rest of the series and just showed me and everyone that I could score runs anywhere.”

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