A baby-faced Steve Smith made his Test debut at Lord’s aged 21, selected as Australia’s strike spinner for the first of two matches against Pakistan in 2010.
The leggie claimed three wickets, scoring 12 in the second innings batting at No. 9 — a respectable, albeit unremarkable introduction to Test cricket.
Thirteen years later, he brought up a 32nd Test century at the same venue, walking off the hallowed turf to a standing ovation from the Lord’s crowd.
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Smith had become the first cricketer to pass 9000 Test runs before their 100th match, a milestone he ticks off at Headingley this week — he’s the 15th Australian to play a hundred Tests, joining an elite group of modern greats.
No cricketer boasts more Test runs at a higher average than Smith, which currently sits at a tick under 60.
“His consistency at the top level is phenomenal,” Australian captain Pat Cummins told reporters this week.
“Some people go on runs and might average 60 for a year or so. For him to do it over 100 Test matches puts him right up there as the next best batsman after Bradman.
“All conditions, I think he’s got the same amount of centuries away and at home. He just finds a way.
“His appetite to train and work hard off the field is second to none. I’ve never seen anyone work as hard as he does.”
Anyone who has witnessed Smith bat in the Test arena would consider it a privilege. Not since Shane Warne has an Australian cricketer demanded your attention — casual fans stop what they’re doing and rush towards the nearest television when Smith is at the crease.
Highest Test batting average after 99 matches
59.56 — Steve Smith
58.16 — Rahul Dravid
57.99 — Sachin Tendulkar
56.76 — Javed Miandad
56.40 — Jacques Kallis
After being dropped from the Test side in early 2011, Smith reinvented himself as a specialist batter, dominating the domestic scene before earning a recall in early 2013.
He made his maiden Test century against England at The Oval in 2013 — but he didn’t feel like he belonged at international level until six months later.
Facing a world-class bowling attack featuring Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel, Smith compiled a classy hundred against the Proteas at Centurion.
“To be able to score a hundred against them gave me a lot of confidence, knowing I belonged at this level,” Smith explained to reporters this week.
“From there, I was pretty confident in my ability — I knew what I wanted to do, and how I wanted to play. From there, it was just playing the game and enjoying, and trying to score as many runs as I could.”
The Gauteng century kickstarted an otherworldly purple patch for Smith — 20 centuries and 17 fifties in 43 matches, averaging 76.28 across four years.
He became renowned for his on-field quirks — fidgeting with protective gear, flailing his bat around like a lightsaber, shadow batting between overs. His idiosyncrasies were humorous, but illustrated a cricketer that was deeply focused on his craft.
“I don’t know how to really explain it,” Smith laughed.
“It’s a nice place to get when you’re in the zone. You feel as though you’re just making good decisions on instinct, and you’re not overthinking things.
“It is a nice place to get, when you know it is kind of your day, and it’s going to take something special to get you out.
“Something I pride myself on is being able to solve problems out in the middle and get through different scenarios of how people are trying to bowl at me. Over the years people have come at me with so many different plans, and the majority of the time I have been able to navigate myself through those.”
The Cape Town sandpaper scandal of 2018 tarnished his reputation — he had become a symbol for Australian cricket’s toxic culture, forced to spend a year on the sidelines after being banned from the game he loved.
Despite his Ashes heroics of 2019, boos and jeers of “cheat” are still audible when Smith walks out to bat in England, and hostilities will be ramped up in Headingley following Jonny Bairstow’s controversial stumping.
But the taunting has become white noise for the 34-year-old.
“It doesn’t bother me. Everyone is entitled to their opinion,” Smith said.
“I know the person I am, and how I want to go about things. I’m out here playing my game, playing my game and playing for my country, and I’m proud of that.
“Anyone can say what they like … I’m comfortable in my own skin.”
Smith survives nervous 90s for 32nd ton! | 03:00
Despite the inevitably raucous Leeds reception, Smith is focused solely this week on ensuring he returns home with the Ashes in his luggage. Australia has not won a Test series in England since 2001 — and he might earn the privilege of breaking that drought in his 100th Test.
“That’s the goal,” Smith said.
“It’s something that’s been on my bucket list, to win an Ashes series in England.
“What a way to top it off, if I could do it in my 100th game – it would be even more special, for sure.”
Ricky Ponting’s Australian record of 41 Test centuries is within reach, but Smith has never been fussed about the personal accolades. He intends to keep playing the sport until he stops enjoying himself or isn’t contributing to the team’s success.
“Don’t know, I’m not sure,” Smith responded when asked about his future.
“I take it game by game.”
