Steven Smith's Test batting average drops below 60: Key stats
Australia's middle-order batter Steven Smith has been short of runs of late. He scored 27 in the second innings of the ongoing fifth Ashes Test at Bellerive Oval, Hobart. The right-handed batter recorded a duck in the first innings. As a result, his batting average in Test cricket has dropped below 60 for the first time since September 2017. Here are the key stats.
Why does it matter?
Smith is regarded as the most prolific Test batter of the modern age. Smith, who started his career as a leg-spinner, went on to become one of the greatest Australian batters. He is the seventh-highest run-scorer for Australia in Test cricket after Ricky Ponting, Allan Border, Steve Waugh, Michael Clarke, Matthew Hayden, and Mark Waugh. However, Smith is enduring a rough patch currently.
Smith was next to Donald Bradman
Before the Ashes, Smith was next to only Sir Donald Bradman in terms of batting average in Test cricket. The latter finished his career with a mind-boggling average of 99.94. Smith now averages 59.87 in the format.
A look at Smith's stats in Test cricket
In a career that has spanned over a decade, Smith has amassed 7,784 runs from 82 Tests. He still has the third-best batting average among players with over 50 Tests. Smith is only behind Bradman and Herbert Sutcliffe (60.73). He has the sixth-most centuries in the format for Australia (27) after Ponting (41), Waugh (32), Hayden (30), Bradman (29), and Clarke (28).
Smith smashed 774 runs in the 2019 Ashes
Smith smashed a record 774 runs at an astronomical average of 110.57 in the 2019 Ashes edition. He registered the fifth-most runs in a single Ashes series. His tally of runs was the highest (Ashes) since Mark Taylor in 1989 (839 runs). Smith hammered three tons, as many half-centuries, and a double-hundred across four matches. His highest score of 211 came in Manchester.
Smith last scored a Test hundred in January 2021
Smith hasn't scored a Test century in over a year. His last ton (131) came against India at the SCG in January 2021. It was his first ton after 14 straight innings, the most between two centuries in his career. Smith also scored 81 in the second innings in that Test. He has played 10 more innings without scoring a century thereafter.
Smith finishes his Ashes campaign without a century
Smith finished his 2021/22 Ashes campaign with 244 runs at an average of 30.50. The tally includes two half-centuries. It is the first time that Smith hasn't scored a century in a single Ashes series where he played more than five Tests.
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