Steve Smith scores another century, breaks two Ricky Ponting records

Steve Smith has done it again, rewriting the cricket history books with another century and breaking records held by Ricky Ponting.

Steve Smith is in such good form he is breaking records every time he time he steps on the field.

Australia got a chance to bat in the second Test against Sri Lanka on Friday after bowling the hosts out for 257, and Smith made the most of it to reach triple figures for the 36th time in Test cricket.

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Kusal Mendis scored 85 not out, offering some resistance for Sri Lanka as they looked for redemption after losing the first Test by an innings and 242 runs.

Travis Head (21) and Usman Khawaja (36) made starts but once the openers and Marnus Labuschagne (4) were dismissed, it was up to Smith and Alex Carey to rescue the innings for the Australia with the score 3/91.

Smith looked in imperious form and brought up his 36th Test hundred in a sign that he has well and truly put his dip in form behind him. He scored 141 in the first Test against Sri Lanka.

Alex Carey scored his second Test century, sweeping and reverse sweeping his way to a hundred after the shot proved his downfall on the 2023 tour of India.

Smith (120 not out) and Carey (139 not out) combined for a 239-run partnership and were were unbeaten at stumps, powering Australia to 3/330 with a lead of 73 runs.

Steve Smith celebrates scoring his 36th Test century. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

“This truly is the second coming of Steve Smith the ton machine,” Channel 7 commentator Adam Collins said.

Sports reporter Andrew Wu wrote on X: “We’re in another Golden Age of a Hall of Fame career.”

The 35-year-old has drawn level with Indian legend Rahul Dravid and current England star Joe Root on 36 hundreds.

Smith has achieved the feat in 206 innings. Root has 36 tons from 278 innings.

Only Kumar Sangakarra (38), Ricky Ponting (41), Jacques Kallis (45) and Sachin Tendulkar (51) have more Test centuries than Smith.

Smith has now scored four centuries in the past five Test matches, going back to the third Test at the Gabba against India.

Wearing his baggy green in sweltering conditions in Galle, Smith batted dominantly against Sri Lanka’s spin bowlers and even used the reverse sweep, a shot he has rarely used previously, to great effect.

The only time Smith looked in danger of getting out came when spinner Nishan Peris bowled a ripsnorter that turned in between bat and pad but somehow sailed a fraction over the top of the stumps.

Steve Smith has rediscovered his best form. (Photo by Ishara S. KODIKARA / AFP)

Smith is slowly catching Ricky Ponting in the record books. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Smith continues to have a blinder in Sri Lanka as he broke two records held by Ricky Ponting.

On Day 1, Smith took his 197th catch in Test cricket, surpassing Ponting’s all-time mark for the most by an Australian non-wicketkeeper.

Only Kallis, Mahela Jayawardene, Root and Dravid have taken more catches among non-wicketkeepers.

Batting on Day 2, Smith also overtook Ponting (1889) for the most runs scored by an Australia in Tests in the Asian subcontinent.

While Smith, Labuschagne’s fortunes couldn’t have been more different as he was dismissed for four.

Labuschagne was undone by Sri Lankan spinner Prabath Jayasuriya.

Steve Smith (on chair) with an elite set up during a drinks break in Galle. Photo: Channel 7.

It’s been a long time since Marnus Labuschagne’s last century. (Photo by Ishara S. KODIKARA / AFP)

Labuschagne appeared unsure whether to come forward or play deep in his crease and was trapped LBW.

The dismissal continues a dire run of form for Labuschagne, who looks completely out of form — he has scored seven half centuries since his last hundred in the 2023 Ashes.

Labuschagne, 30, has played 52 consecutive Tests but he is running out of chances to keep his place in Australia’s XI.

Labuschagne is averaging just 27.54 during the current World Test Championship cycle and his overall Test average has dropped to 46.58 after he scored nine Test centuries between 2019-2022.

Since the start of the 2023/24 home summer, Labuschagne’s scores are: 16, 2, 63, 4, 60, 62*, 10, 1*, 3, 5, 1, 2, 90, 6, 2, 3, 64, 12, 1, 72, 70, 2, 6, 20, 4.

Originally published as Steve Smith scores another century, breaks two Ricky Ponting records