The second day of the third Test between Australia and India was all about two extraordinary knocks that came in contrasting manners. Both Steve Smith and Travis Head batted brilliantly and slammed well-deserved hundreds to put Australia ahead.
While Smith’s knock was measured and he took his time, Head was quick off the blocks and made full use of his dream batting form. Smith scored 101 off 190 balls while Head scored a quickfire 152 off just 160 balls.
Both the knocks might be contrasting but were valuable enough to help Australia surge towards a big first innings total. After the end of the day’s play, Smith spoke to the reporters and spoke about his own knock and the partnership with Travis Head.
Also read: “Bohot hi kharab”: Cheteshwar Pujara’s verdict on Jasprit Bumrah-led bowling unit’s performance vs Travis Head
Steve Smith hails “special player” Travis Head
Steve Smith first hailed Travis Head’s batting form and admitted how difficult he makes for the bowlers to bowl to him. Smith also revealed the chat between the two of them and termed Head as a special player currently.
“I had a great seat in the house to watch Travis (Head) bat. Travis is consistently performing well. It’s incredible how he puts pressure on bowlers. Unbelievable batting. It’s tough to place fielders for him,” Smith said.
“We don’t actually say much to each other out there. He just says, ‘do your thing.’ I say, ‘do your thing,’ and we move on. It was cool to witness that again. He’s a special player right now,” he added.
Steve Smith speaks on his own knock
When asked about his own hundred, Steve Smith was relieved to reach the three-figure mark. He admitted to having tough times in the last few matches but he always trusted himself to score big when the luck will be on his side.
“It was nice to reach three figures. It’s been a while. It’s good to contribute today. The last few games have been tricky. I’ve faced good balls and been caught down the leg side. I’ve been trusting myself and got some luck early on,” Smith revealed.
The Australian vice-captain also revealed how he planned to bat on a bouncy pitch at the Gabba. He claimed that he was unlucky the last time when he was caught down the leg side but scored this time since he didn’t nick any ball despite getting beaten numerous times.
“I’ve been changing my setup every game for the last 15 years. So it’s nothing new. This was a bouncy track, so I was standing outside the crease, keeping my left leg open. Obviously, I had some luck early on, which you need on these surfaces,” he explained about the tweak he made.
“I’ve played long enough to know that the game turns around. Last time, I was unlucky down the leg side. Today, luck was on my side. On another day, I might have nicked one of those balls,” he continued.
Steve Smith survives tough times to score a brilliant century
While Travis Head has been in magnificent form with the bat, Steve Smith has struggled to score runs. Head’s great form allows him to score runs freely while Smith had to grind it out at the start for this special knock.
Smith was beaten a no. of times by some superb Indian bowling in patches. But he survived the tough times to reach his 33rd Test hundred. It was also his first century in 26 Test innings.
