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After a difficult outing in the opening 2023 Ashes Test at Edgbaston, in which he managed 22 runs across two innings, Steve Smith returned to form at Lord’s, hitting his 32nd Test century.
He came out to bat with the Australian scoreboard reading 96-2 and played another exceptional innings under pressure in hostile conditions, breaking a number of records in the process and putting the visitors in control of the Test.
He scored 110 runs off 184 deliveries with the help of 15 boundaries. The English bowlers gave him some freebies early in his innings and he took advantage of them. His brilliance helped the visitors post a total of 416 on the board in the first innings.
His knock was another reminder of the fact that he is the best trials putter of this generation, miles ahead of his competition. Here, we take a look at three reasons that prove the same:
#1. Average Bradman-esque
Steve Smith’s average of 59.73 is simply exceptional. He’s done 99 tests which means the sample size is huge. The 34-year-old is ahead of his rivals, Joe Root, Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson, in the game’s longest formula.
Root averages 50.58 in 132 Tests, Kohli 48.73 in 109 and Williamson 54.89 in 94 matches. They all have good records but when it comes to Test cricket Smith is in a very different league. In a recent interview with the ICC prior to the World Test Championship (WTC) final, Kohli acknowledged the same.
# 2. He did well in all conditions
Steve Smith has mastered all the terms unlike some of his other competitors who have failed in one or two states. It averages 64.51 in Australia, 59.24 in England and 50.31 in India. The only country with an average of less than 40 is Bangladesh, which has only taken two tests.
He has been fantastic in England, with the 2019 Ashes series testament to his prowess in the conditions. In 2017, while others failed, he stood tall on the tried and tested courts of India. Countries like Sri Lanka, South Africa, Pakistan and New Zealand have also seen the best of the great man.
# 3. Unparalleled consistency
Since becoming a regular in the Test side back in 2013, Steve Smith has been managing runs on a consistent basis. In 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017, he averaged 81.86, 73.70, 71.93, and 76.76, respectively. He averaged over 70 in 2019 and over 50 in 2021 and 2022. The only two years his average fell below par were 2018 and 202, years in which he played very few games for various reasons.
Also this year, Smith has hit close to 50 average, which could get better considering the level he’s at at the moment. He smashed a century in the final of the World Trade Series against India and has now scored in the Ashes as well.
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