Australia vs. India 3rd Test Day 2 live: Steve Smith breaks legend’s record with comeback century

Steve Smith has proven his critics wrong with a comeback century, breaking an Aussie icon’s record and delivering an ice cold celebration.

Steve Smith has moved to second on Australia’s list of all-time century makers after bringing up his 33rd Test ton on a massive day to set up the third Test against India at the Gabba.

After losing most of Day 1 due to rain, Australia started the day at 0/28 with just 13.2 overs being bowled, before losing the wickets of Usman Khawaja (21), Nathan McSweeney (9) and Marnus Labuschagne (12) with just 75 on the board.

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But the wicket brought Smith and Travis Head to the crease.

While Head, who also brought up a century — blazing away with 152 off just 160 balls for his second hundred of the series — appeared to be seeing the ball like a watermelon, Smith was forced to dig in.

The perseverance paid off as the struggling Aussie star brought up his hundred off 185 balls, raising his bat for the 33rd time, although also showing some emotion as he waved his bat to the crowd.

It moves Smith past Steve Waugh on the list of Australian Test century-makers to second all-time behind only Ricky Ponting, who plundered 41 hundreds in his career.

However, Smith has reached his mark in 88 fewer innings than Ponting.

Overall, it’s the 11th most of any cricketer and second in currently active players, behind only England’s Joe Root, who is currently on 36.

In Smith’s favour is that he’s played just 112 Tests to Root’s 152.

Unfortunately for Smith, just five balls and a run after bring up the milestone, he was caught by Rohit Sharma in the slips off Indian quick Jasprit Bumrah, who brought up a second five wicket haul of the series.

The dismissal also ended a massive partnership of 241 with Head, Australia’s fourth biggest partnership of the past five years.

Head, who brought up his ninth century after winning the race to three figures with Smith, also made it past 150, the fifth time in his career he’s passed the milestone.

Lovely scenes after Head brought up his hundred. Photo by Patrick HAMILTON / AFP

It also sparked a little bit of a collapse for Australia with Mitchell Marsh and Head following soon after in a run of 3/11 for India.

But after a 58-run stand between captain Pat Cummins and Alex Carey before the Aussie skipper’s dismissal and Mitchell Starc took over, the Aussies passed 400 for the first time in 10 Test matches.

After a dominant day, Australia finished 7/405, pressing a huge advantage for the day.

Relive the highlights of a brilliant day of Test cricket for Australia.

Originally published as Australia vs. India 3rd Test Day 2 live: Steve Smith breaks legend’s record with comeback century