It was on day two of the third Test match of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar trophy Test series that Australian batting wizard, Steve Smith registered his 27th ton and took his team to a first-innings total of 338. 

Steve Smith, roared back and silenced his critics as he brought up his hundred at SCG after a gap of 490 days and eight Tests. Steve Smith's last test ton came in September 2019 during Ashes. The former didn’t have a great 2020 as he averaged around 19 in three Test-matched he played.

After the end of the second day, Smith answered back to his critics and said that there was a difference between out-of-form and out-of-run.

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“I’m reading a lot of things people say that I’m out of form but think I think there’s a difference between out of form and out of runs. Just nice to score a few and maybe keep a few people quiet, ” Smith told Fox Cricket after the end of 1st innings. 

Smith got to his 27th Test century equalling Virat Kohli, Graeme Smith, and Allan Border, and in reaching the milestone in his 136th innings, also became the second-fastest to the mark - only behind Sir Don Bradman (70 innings) and in ten fewer innings that his contemporary, Kohli.

The century also makes the ICC Men's Test Player of the Decade the player with most Test hundreds against India (8) joint-most with Sir Garfield Sobers, Viv Richards, and Ricky Ponting.

Smith's innings of 131 took Australia to a total of 338 in their first innings after the hosts' founded themselves tumbling at 255/6. 

(Fox cricket Inputs)