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Cricket

'Test Cricket ka uncontested GOAT' - Fans abuzz as Steve Smith set to become 15th Australian to play 100 Test matches

The third Test of Ashes 2023 will be Steve Smith's 100th Test match in career. Here's how fans reacted before the red-letter game.

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Steve Smith, Australia

Steve Smith, Australia (Source: Twitter)

Australia currently lead Ashes 2023 by 2-0 after winning the first two Tests. Steve Smith, Australia’s star batter, remained the Man of the Match in Test 2 at Lord’s for his masterful century in the first innings. However, there is an even higher honour waiting for him in the third Test at Headingley. Steve Smith will play his 100th career Test match in the third Test of Ashes 2023 at Headingley. As such, he will join an elite list of Australian greats and become the 15th Australian cricketer to surpass triple digits in terms of the number of Test matches played in career.

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Smith began his Test career as a bowler and typically batted in positions 8 and 9. The then leg spinner managed to score 970 runs at an average of 34.64 in 16 games up to 2013. Smith, though, saw his batting potential and saw a huge increase in his numbers. He averaged 6194 runs in 56 games from 2014 to 2019 at an astounding average of 72.02 while scoring 24 centuries. Smith has excelled in away games as well, scoring runs in swinging, seaming, and spinning conditions. He has not merely done this at home. He was dubbed the "best Test batsman of this generation" for this reason, according to Virat Kohli.

‘He'd be the second-greatest batsman Australia have produced’ – Ricky Ponting on Steve Smith

Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting recently spoke words of praise for Steve Smith. He said, “If it all ended tomorrow, he'd be the second-greatest batsman Australia have produced after Don Bradman. Statistically, you cannot argue with that. He's achieving things so quickly. Even at Lord's, he became the second-fastest in history to reach 9,000 Test runs."

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Smith has constantly demonstrated outstanding batting prowess throughout his storied career, which has spanned 99 Tests. His excellent record features a staggering total of 9,113 runs, scored at a strike rate of 53.78 and an average of 59.56.  This amazing feat consists of 37 half-centuries, four double hundreds, and an astounding 32 centuries. Smith's 239 against England in the 2017–18 Ashes series stands out as his highest individual score in Test matches.

Here's how fans reacted:

Ashes 2023 Australia featured Steve Smith Twitter Reactions