Steve Smith scored 144 on his return to test cricket after a ban for ball-tampering as Australia recovered from 122-8 to 284 all out against England on the opening day of the Ashes series.
He surpassed India skipper and world number one Test batsman, Virat Kohli to become the second fastest player to score 24 tons in Test format. The right hand batsman took 118 innings to register 24 centuries. Virat Kohli had taken 123 innings to achieve the same.
The record for the fastest to 24 centuries is with former Aussie skipper Don Bradman who had completed the feat in just 66 innings.
Smith and Peter Siddle came to the rescue of Australia’s first innings with an 88-run partnership for the ninth wicket at Edgbaston, and Smith then shared 74 runs with Nathan Lyon (12 not out) for the last wicket in an extraordinary turnaround.
Smith was finally bowled while trying to smash Stuart Broad. The former captain’s brilliant 219-ball knock, which provided more than half his team’s runs, included two sixes and 16 fours.
Smith earned his first test ton — and 24th test century overall in only 65 games — after a 12-month suspension for being involved in a ball-tampering scandal during the third test against South Africa in 2018.