Centuries by Smith and Head establish Australian dominance over India

Third Test, Brisbane (day two of five) Australia 405-7: Head 152, Smith 101 India: Yet to bat Scorecard On day two of the third Test in Brisbane, Australia achieved a commanding position, reaching 405-7, primarily due to centuries from Steve Smith (101) and Travis Head (152), despite a late surge from India’s Jasprit Bumrah. Smith and Head formed a 241-run partnership for the fourth wicket, largely without incident, after Australia was at 75-3. Bumrah subsequently dismissed both batsmen, along with Mitchell Marsh, using the second new ball at the Gabba. Smith’s score of 101 concluded a sequence of 26 innings without a Test century, while Head rapidly scored 152 runs off 160 balls, marking his second consecutive ton. Bumrah returned to complete his 12th five-wicket haul in Tests, having earlier removed opening batsmen Usman Khawaja and Nathan McSweeney. Alex Carey and Pat Cummins shared a 58-run stand before Cummins was dismissed late in the day, with Australia finishing at 405-7 at stumps. The five-match series is currently tied at 1-1, following Australia’s 10-wicket victory in Adelaide last week. India must secure wins in at least two of the remaining three Tests to guarantee a place in June’s World Test Championship final at Lord’s. Defending champions Australia will qualify for the final if they win two of the remaining Tests. After only 13.2 overs were possible on day one, additional rain is predicted for the remainder of the match. Smith’s latest century, his first since the second Ashes Test at Lord’s in June 2023, is his 10th in 41 innings against India, matching Joe Root’s record, which was achieved in 55 innings. Having scored only 19 runs in three innings in the series, Smith was under pressure. He began his innings tentatively and survived an lbw review when playing no shot to Mohammed Siraj. His half-century was accumulated almost exclusively on the leg side, before he gained confidence and executed drives down the ground, through the covers, and behind square. He progressed from his half-century to a century in just 57 balls, marking his 33rd Test century and placing him outright second on Australia’s all-time list, eight behind Ricky Ponting. Rapid scoring was also a significant feature of Head’s innings, as the left-hander advanced from 20 runs at lunch to a century by the tea interval. The second half of his century was scored in just 44 balls, as he particularly effectively capitalized on any length offered to pull and upper cut to the boundary. One-third of Head’s Test centuries have now been scored against India. This, combined with his match-winning 137 in last year’s 50-over World Cup final, has earned him the nickname ‘Travis Headache’ in India, according to former head coach Ravi Shastri on the TV coverage. Bumrah’s exceptional performance is well-established, but even by his own standards, he has been superb in this series. He has claimed 17 wickets at an average of 12.17, while conceding an economical 2.62 runs an over. He made breakthroughs in the fourth and sixth overs of the day, having Usman Khawaja caught behind and Nathan McSweeney, whom he has dismissed four times in the series, taken at second slip. Smith and Marnus Labuschagne then navigated a 15-over period before Labuschagne was caught at second slip off Nitish Kumar Reddy, an over after Siraj had switched the bails around to try to bring a change of luck. India arguably held the advantage at that point, but Head and Smith seized the initiative, leading to a visible drop in morale within the tourists’ camp. There was a noticeable lack of energy and noise for much of the second session as Australia added 130 runs – and that atmosphere persisted until Bumrah returned. In his second over back, he had Smith caught at first slip, before Marsh was smartly caught by Virat Kohli at second slip, and Head provided a faint edge that was taken by Rishabh Pant. These dismissals offered India an opportunity to regain momentum, but Carey’s unbeaten 45 ensured Australia ended the day in control. Steve Smith on TNT Sports: “It was nice to get in and feel good. I’ve been feeling good; I just haven’t been able to get in and get through my work.” He added: “Heady makes things look really easy and I’m just up the other end doing my thing. The scoreboard moves so quickly with him, it is beautiful to watch. It is the best seat in the house.” Travis Head on TNT Sports: “It is nice to keep the ball rolling. I felt like I’ve been playing well in the first two Tests, but nothing is guaranteed, so it was nice to come out and contribute to a partnership and the day.” He further stated: “It is a nice wicket. It was challenging with the new ball and they bowled really well, but our partnership helped and we worked well together.”