Steve Smith’s Edgbaston triple treat surpasses Pune heroics

It was on a treacherous Pune dustbowl that Steve Smith hit what many regarded — until now — to be the finest ton of his career.

Steve Smith hits out during day one of the first Test against England at Edgbaston. Picture: Getty Images

It was on a treacherous Pune dust bowl that Steve Smith hit what many regarded — until now — to be the finest century of his career.

The 109-run, 202-ball stay in 2017 was a study of concentration against all odds which Smith himself believed to be ranked near the top of his greatest exploits.

But having excelled after arriving at the crease at 2-17 at Edgbaston, in his first Test back from a 12-month ban following the ball-tampering saga, with Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes turning the Dukes ball around corners … it might be time for Smith to update his list of best-ever knocks.

The 30-year-old is regarded as a bit of an odd character — as someone who is unusually obsessive about the game of cricket.

Coach Justin Langer has joked that Smith’s dedication to his craft is such that he shadow bats in the shower, and members of the coaching staff fall to their knees in mock fatigue when the tireless batsman straps on his pads for yet another stint in the nets.

There is no batsman on the planet with an appetite for facing balls quite like Smith, to the point where World Cup assistant coach Ricky Ponting became concerned he needed to dial back his training a touch. But it all leads to this.

An innings of such quality that it must challenge his Pune brilliance, and the 100 against South Africa at Centurion in 2014 — even the unbeaten 141 at the Gabba which triggered Australia’s stunning 4-0 thrashing of England in the most recent Ashes in 2017.

Smith himself marked the magnificent knock near the top of his best in the red-ball game.

While the deposed Australia skipper opted to avoid mentioning his ban from international cricket for his role in the Cape Town scandal, he noted the context of this century coming on the first day of an Ashes series as reason for it to rank highly on his list of feats.

“I think it has got to be one of my best hundreds, definitely: first Ashes Test match, the ball was doing a fair bit out in the morning so I had to work hard,” he said.

In Pune, Australia was given absolutely no chance — a touring team that was expected to fold completely and accept a 4-0 series whitewash.

Steve Smith celebrates after scoring a century against India in Pune in 2017. Picture: AFP

Smith was expected to be the sole Australian hurdle, and so it proved as he defied the odds with a spectacular second-innings century to inspire an upset in the series opener where only three other players passed 40.

There, he spearheaded a stunning victory, as he hopes to do in Birmingham to open the Ashes.

Without context, any innings in which a side is rescued from 8-122 to post 284 thanks considerably to a glorious 144 from the team’s saviour, would be considered special.

But add in the incredible rollercoaster Smith has endured over the past 16 months, from being banished from cricket altogether to suffering an elbow injury which threatened to derail his entire Ashes campaign, and it’s enough to elevate it to greatness.