Smith century puts Australia on top against India

Border-Gavaskar Trophy, fourth Test, day two, Melbourne

Australia 474: Smith 140, Labuschagne 72, Konstas 60, Khawaja 57; Bumrah 4-99, Jadeja 4-78)

India 164-5: (Jaiswal 82, Kohli 36; Boland 2-24, Cummins 2-57)

India trail by 310 runs

Scorecard

Steve Smith continued his revival with a magnificent century as he and Australia’s bowlers put the hosts firmly on top against India after day two of the fourth Test in Melbourne.

After ending a run of 26 Test innings without a ton in the third Test in Brisbane, Smith followed up with a belligerent 140 to help Australia post 474 in their first innings.

It was the 34-year-old’s 34th Test century and moved him up to joint seventh on the all-time list, in a five-strong group that includes Brian Lara and Sunil Gavaskar.

Smith’s knock included a crucial 112-run partnership for the seventh wicket with captain Pat Cummins, who hit 49.

Smith was eventually dismissed in bizarre fashion when he charged Akash Deep and the ball hit the pads off an inside edge before rolling into his leg stump.

India skipper Rohit Sharma’s poor run of form with the bat continued when he fell for just three off the bowling of Cummins at the start of India’s reply.

The Australia skipper then bowled KL Rahul with a beauty just before tea to leave India reeling on 51-2.

Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli steadied the innings with a partnership of 102 before a desperate mix-up saw Jaiswal run out for 82.

Scott Boland then removed Kohli for 36 and Deep for a duck as India limped to 164-5 at the close, still trailing by 310 runs. Before Jaiswal’s dismissal, they had been going along handily at 153-2.

The five-match series is level at 1-1, with both sides looking to win it 3-1 to guarantee a place in the World Test Championship final.

If there were any lingering doubts about Smith’s place in the Australia side, they were emphatically dismissed on the second morning in Melbourne.

Resuming on 68, the former captain slowly moved through the gears as he and Cummins, who began on eight, sought quick runs to take the game away from India.

Smith brought up the 50 partnership with a powerful hook off Jasprit Bumrah for six, before reaching his century with a drive through the covers off Nitish Kumar Reddy.

He moves ahead of Joe Root with 11 Test centuries against India, more than any other player.

Smith and Cummins began to swing the bat as India toiled on a pitch offering little for the bowlers.

Cummins eventually fell when he sliced an attempted drive off Ravindra Jadeja to Reddy in the covers.

Mitchell Starc hit a handy 15 from 36 balls before being bowled by Jadeja.

Smith’s unfortunate dismissal soon followed, the ball bumping into his leg stump with just enough force to dislodge the bail.

Nathan Lyon’s was the final wicket to fall when he was trapped lbw by Bumrah, who was the pick of the India bowlers with 4-99.

This was a difficult day for India as they toiled with the ball before struggling with the bat, resulting in them falling way behind in the match.

Mohammed Siraj’s bowling took some particularly aggressive treatment as he finished with figures of 0-122.

The visitors then made an awful start with the bat as Rohit Sharma’s form continued to desert him.

The captain, promoted back up from six to opener, lasted just five deliveries as an ugly mistimed pull looped straight to Boland at mid-wicket.

Rohit has scored only one half-century in his last 14 innings and has a top score of just 18 in his last eight.

India’s innings swung from the ridiculous to the sublime as KL Rahul fell to a masterful delivery from Cummins, with the ball pitching on middle and off before seaming away and clipping the top of off stump.

Kohli and Jaiswal’s 102-run partnership offered India a way back into the contest, but they lost three wickets for six runs in a dire 25 minutes before close of play.

Jaiswal went when he pushed the ball straight to Cummins at mid-off and set off for a single that was never on. Kohli was unmoved at the non-striker’s end, leaving Jaiswal stranded.

Boland, on his home ground, lured Kohli into a push outside off stump and he feathered through to Alex Carey for 36, before nightwatcher Deep was caught by Nathan Lyon at short leg for a duck in the penultimate over of the day.

Australia spinner Nathan Lyon on Steve Smith, to ABC: “I have been lucky enough to have played my whole career with him and he is the greatest problem solver I have seen.

“He is always trying to get better and has the mindset to change things mid-innings. He is a special player and I know when he is getting runs it is a great feeling to be in that changing room.”

India spinner Washington Sundar: “We looked like we were in a great position to get big runs, especially when Yashasvi [Jaiswal] was batting.

“But we’ll come back and continue to fight tomorrow morning. The energy is very good in the dressing room. We are all positive. There’s still three days and a lot of overs to play.”