Cricket
Racing
Rugby
League
Motorsport
Football
Golf
Combat Sports
Basketball
Tennis
Other Sports
Sport Nation
Smith and Head pile pain on Indian bowlers at the Gabba
Scott Bailey, AAP • December 15th, 2024 9:20 pm
Photo: Jono Searle/AAP
Travis Head has continued to cast a spell over India's bowlers and Steve Smith has proved he is far from a spent force as Australia reached 405/7 on a dominant day two of the third Test at the Gabba.
At a crucial point in a match that is constantly being threatened by rain, Head and Smith hit 152 and 101 respectively to put Australia on top.
Jasprit Bumrah also played a lone hand again for India, bagging 5/72 as he looked the only man likely to break through.
But while the quick struck twice early and then took three more wickets with the new ball, this was a day that belonged to Head and Smith.
The pair combined for a 241-run fourth-wicket stand, rescuing Australia from 75/3 and giving them every chance of taking a 2-1 lead in the five-Test series.
The duo's partnership also ensured Australia completely obliterated any advantage India had by winning the toss and bowling on day one, before rain wiped out most of Saturday.
Head's knock was one of counter-attacking brilliance, repeating his century-making heroics of Adelaide as he dispatched India's bowlers to all parts.
He punished them on the cut shot when offered width, upper-cut when India went overly short and punished them on the hook when bowlers went too straight.
Photo: Jono Searle/AAP
The South Australian's last 100 runs came from just 81 balls, making for the third time in his past four Tests against India he had taken the game away with a blink-and-you-miss-it century.
And while Head's innings was one of hard-hitting action, Smith's showed a release of 18 months of pent-up frustration.
Without a century in his previous 24 knocks dating back to the 2023 Ashes, Smith was made to fight early against an Indian attack ready to break the game open.
He walked to the crease when Usman Khawaja (21) and Nathan McSweeney (9) fell to Bumrah, and watched Marnus Labuschagne edge off driving a wide ball on 12.
But with Head at the other end, Smith began to flourish.
The pull shot was back in front of square leg, as was the masterful cover drive that has been a staple of his career.
Smith was moving around the crease to pick up runs on the legside, while still punching the ball back past the bowler for four when India went too full.
Photo: Jono Searle/AAP
At age 35, Smith's long run without a century had become an ongoing narrative this summer, as critics questioned the senior nature of Australia's team.
But this was an innings that showed he still had the ability to score his runs of old, and could be a threat in both this series and next summer's Ashes.
Smith raised his arms aloft upon reaching three figures, before powerfully swishing his bat through the air in a gesture of triumph.
He was out shortly after when he edged Bumrah to first slip, before Mitch Marsh and Head followed in a similar fashion against India's strike bowler.
The wickets halted Australia's charge, but Alex Carey's unbeaten 45 from 46 balls has given them a chance to try and win the Test batting just once with rain forecast for the final three days.
