Ashes 2023: Steve Smith equals Steve Waugh’s tally of 32 Test centuries

TIL Desk Sports/ Adding another feather to his cap, star batter Steve Smith on Thursday equalled Steve Waugh’s record of 32 Test centuries for Australia on Day 2 of the second Ashes 2023 Test against England at Lord’s.

Smith now has only Ricky Ponting, who has scored 41 centuries, in his sights on Australia’s all-time Test ton scoring charts. Moreover, playing his 174th innings in his 99th Test, Smith is the fastest to reach the 32-ton mark.

With this latest century, Smith has now equaled Jack Hobbs’ tally of 12 centuries in Ashes, placing them both in second position. The legendary Don Bradman continues to reign supreme at the top of the list with an impressive 19 centuries to his name.

Resuming his innings at 85, just 15 runs shy of reaching his second century at Lord’s, the right-hander batter unleashed a series of boundary shots upon the arrival of the second new ball. Finally, it was a well-executed cover drive off James Anderson’s bowling that sealed a milestone for him.

The 34-year-old also become the fourth Australian to have his name etched onto the Lord’s Test batting honours board multiple times, joining Warren Bardsley (1912, 1926), Sir Don Bradman (1930, 1938) and Bill Brown (1934, 1938) to score multiple Test hundreds at Lord’s.