Australian Steven Smith hits 11th Test ton against India, most by any batter

Australian batter Steven Smith smashed home his 11th Test ton against India on December 27, 2024. The Men in Blue seem to have no answer to Smith’s form against them, as the cricketer has hit repeat tons against India across several Test meetings involving the two sides.

Notable Stats During the Ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT)

Smith extends his ton hauls vs India at BGT 2024/25

Smith’s 11th Test century vs India came during Day 2 of the 4th Test during the ongoing 2024/25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT). This tally registers his 10th century in Tests vs India in BGT competitions alone. The talented batter surpassed Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli (9 BGT centuries each) with his latest knock.  

Smith surpasses Joe Root

Steven Smith surpasses Englishman Joe Root (10 Test centuries vs India) with his recent century. He now leads the all-time rankings that includes names like Garry Sobers (8), Viv Richards (8), Ricky Ponting (8), Michael Clarke (7), and other greats.

Smith bags 34th ton in 201 innings

Smith’s 11th Test ton against India also pushes his record to 34 centuries in 201 innings. He is the third-fastest batsman to this milestone and is currently behind Sachin Tendulkar (192 innings) and Ricky Ponting (193 innings).

Smith now joins the eleven batters in Test history to have 34 centuries as of December 30, 2024.

Bumrah collapses under superior Aussie batting

Smith had an exciting time swinging against India’s batters, and he managed to get the better of pacer Jasprit Bumrah. The Indian pacer could find no answer to Australia’s batting prowess as he conceded 99 runs in Australia’s initial innings during Day 2, Test 4.

Bumrah’s faltering appearance means he now has a new highest concession of runs against Australia and in Test cricket. His record of bowling 84 innings without conceding 100 runs is now over. He sits atop the rankings of longest innings streaks without ceding 100 runs, ahead of England’s Mike Hendrick (54 innings).

Sharma averages the second-lowest for a Team India top-order batter per 10 innings

India’s Rohit Sharma couldn’t replicate Smith’s big-hitting form throughout the calendar year in Tests. The Men in Blue captain now averages 11.07 during the 2024/25 Test season, the second-lowest figure for a top-six Indian batter across a minimum of 10 innings. He is now only behind Chandu Sarwate, who achieved a 10.0 Test average in 1947/48.

India bags 100+ partnership

It hasn’t been an entirely-horrible experience for India since the BGT 2024/25 began. The Men in Blue managed their second 100+ plus partnership in an initial innings as Virat Kohli and Yashasvi Jaiswal combined to record 102 runs in Melbourne.

India lets in 400+ totals for the first time in almost a decade

Team India couldn’t provide a strong defence vs Australia during the Adelaide Test. The Men in Blue allowed their hosts achieve a 400+ total in a single Test series.

Top Test Centuries vs India by Batter

*Ongoing Test between India vs Australia (2024/25)

Three Australians have scored at least 7 centuries each vs India as of December 27, 2024. The three cricketers – Smith, Ponting, Clarke – have a combined 26 centuries vs India so far.

Players from the West Indies feature more than cricketers from other nations in the all-time rankings of individual Test hundreds scored against India.  Sobers, Richards, Weekes, Chanderpaul, and Lloyd all have seven or more Test hundreds vs the Men in Blue.