Steve Smith hit his 35th Test century against Sri Lanka at Galle International Stadium. Australia had a fantastic start to the series as both openers Usman Khawaja and Travis Head set the tone for the visitors. Batting at number three, Marnus Labuchagne scored 20 before Steve Smith came out to bat and played a phenomenal knock in the turning track. After completing the ton, he acknowledged the crowd by raising his bat and cap.
In the absence of Pat Cummins, the 35-year-old is leading the Australian team in the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka. In 2016, under his leadership, the team suffered a humiliating 3-0 defeat to the Lankan Lions while in 2022, the series ended 1-1. Thus, there was pressure on Smith to deliver results this time around. Nevertheless, he turned the pressure into a rock-solid performance and completed his century in style.
The legendary cricketer also surpassed Sunil Gavaskar and currently stands seventh on the list of most centuries in Test cricket. Meanwhile, courtesy of his century and a brilliant partnership with Usman Khawaja, Australia are in a commanding position in the first Test. They stitched an unbeaten partnership of 195 runs before rain played spoilsport in the third session of Day 1.
On the other hand, Khawaja, who struggled massively during the India series, has reestablished his authority at the top of the order. He made an unbeaten 147 runs and will be hoping to hit a double-century in the game to cement his spot in the playing XI. There were plenty of discussions regarding his future in the format but with the terrific ton, the 38-year-old has arguably sealed his spot in the XI for now.
Smith meanwhile will be hoping to keep up with the momentum and help Australia post a strong total on the board. Sri Lanka were entirely dependent on their spinners in the game and even though the ball turned well, it couldn’t break the Australian batters.
Most centuries in Test cricket:
| Players | Centuries |
| Sachin Tendulkar | 51 |
| Jacques Kallis | 45 |
| Ricky Ponting | 41 |
| Kumar Sangakkara | 38 |
| Joe Root | 36 |
| Rahul Dravid | 36 |
| Steve Smith | 35 |
| Sunil Gavaskar | 34 |
| Younis Khan | 34 |
| Brian Lara | 34 |
| Mahela Jayawardene | 34 |