Smith ends century drought as Head dazzles with 152 in Brisbane
Smith, under scrutiny after a lean patch, silenced his critics with a gritty 101, his 33rd Test century and first since the Lord’s Test during the 2023 Ashes.
Steve Smith returned to form with a long-awaited century, while Travis Head smashed a commanding 152, propelling Australia to a formidable 405 for seven on the second day of the third Test against India at the Gabba on 15 December.
Smith, under scrutiny after a lean patch, silenced his critics with a gritty 101, his 33rd Test century and first since the Lord's Test during the 2023 Ashes.
Head, meanwhile, thrilled the 34,227-strong Brisbane crowd with an aggressive innings, reinforcing his recent dominance following his century in Adelaide.
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"It was nice to get in, feel good," Smith said after his milestone knock. "I missed out for a little while now, so it's nice to get three figures again."
India's Jasprit Bumrah fought valiantly, claiming three wickets in the final session to complete his 12th five-wicket haul in Tests. The star pacer broke Smith and Head's marathon 241-run stand by having Smith caught by Rohit Sharma in the slips, before quickly removing Mitchell Marsh (five) and Head.
Despite Bumrah's brilliance, India's bowling unit appeared heavily reliant on him. Akash Deep, playing his first Test of the series, and spinner Ravindra Jadeja remained wicketless, while Mohammed Siraj spent part of the day off the field nursing a hamstring issue.
Australia finished the day with Alex Carey unbeaten on 45 and Mitchell Starc on seven, ensuring they crossed the 400-run mark to firmly take control of the match.
Smith ended his longest streak without a Test century by flicking Akash Deep for a single to reach his milestone, sparking jubilant celebrations from the Gabba crowd. The 35-year-old marked the moment with an intense glare at the Australian dressing room before kissing the crest on his helmet.
Head, in contrast, was all flair. After bringing up his ninth Test hundred with a boundary off a Bumrah full toss, he stormed past 150 at nearly a run-a-ball, continuing his remarkable purple patch.
"It's a nice wicket... It was challenging, they bowled pretty well," Head reflected after his innings. "It's nice to come out, build a partnership, and contribute to the day."
India started brightly, capitalising on the rain-hit opening day to grab early breakthroughs on the second morning. Resuming at 28 without loss, Australia lost Usman Khawaja for 21 when Bumrah struck with his seventh ball of the day, followed soon by Nathan McSweeney, dismissed for nine.
Siraj, though far from his best, added Pat Cummins' wicket late in the day, caught behind for 20. Earlier, he engaged in theatrics with Marnus Labuschagne by swapping the bails at the non-striker's end, only for Labuschagne to respond in kind. Labuschagne, however, fell to debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy for 12, driving loosely to Virat Kohli in the slips.
With the series level at 1-1, India will need their bowlers to rise to the challenge to claw back into the match.
