Smith's ridiculous record at English Test venue

The Oval was wherever Steve Smith earned his maiden period successful trial cricket, successful the 2013 Ashes series.

Since then, nary different crushed wherever he's played much than erstwhile extracurricular of Australia has fixed him arsenic overmuch pleasure.

In the World Test Championship last on Thursday nighttime (AEST) against India helium achieved his 3rd period successful 4 tests astatine the Oval, wherever helium averages 102.4, the champion of each visiting batters.

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“In presumption of English wickets it's astir apt arsenic adjacent to Australia arsenic you tin get, the gait and bounce successful the surface,” Smith said. “The quadrate goes the full mode crossed truthful you get bully worth for your shots so, yeah, I've enjoyed playing present and it was bully to people a fewer again.”

Australia has strengthened its grip connected the World Test Championship final

On 95 overnight, helium directed his archetypal 2 balls of the final's 2nd greeting to the bound connected the limb broadside for the hundred. Typically, he crushed down India's onslaught to scope the 100 successful 229 balls. He was yet retired for 121 from 268 balls, dragging connected aft five-and-a-half hours.

“It's astir staying successful the infinitesimal arsenic overmuch arsenic possible,” helium said. “Basically conscionable forgetting what happened the shot earlier and playing the adjacent ball, and if you get retired past truthful beryllium it. I thought I did it beauteous well.”

Smith arrived astatine the crease conscionable earlier luncheon connected the archetypal time to find David Warner had near an uncommonly heavy spread wherever helium marked his guard.

Watch every shot of the Ashes bid unrecorded and exclusive connected Nine and 9Now.

Steve Smith celebrates his period alongside teammate Travis Head during time 2 of the ICC World Test Championship Final betwixt Australia and India astatine The Oval. (ICC via Getty Images)

“I asked Marnus (Labuschagne), ‘What’s going connected down the extremity here? There's this large spread that I'm astir to autumn into.' I astir twisted my ankle the archetypal fewer balls I faced retired there. Then I benignant of got utilized to it, but it was odd. When I'm moving to disconnected stump and I've got this spread there, it was thing I hadn't experienced before, but it worked for maine truthful helium tin support digging.”

Smith's 31st 100 successful 1 of the large careers was besides his seventh successful England, tying him with Steve Waugh. The lone overseas batter with much successful England was Don Bradman with 11.

Smith's form, aft a little buildup with County broadside Sussex, is ominous not conscionable for India successful the last but besides the five-test Ashes bid that starts adjacent week astatine Edgbaston and finishes astatine the Oval successful precocious July.

On the past Ashes bid successful England successful 2019, Smith led with 774 runs astatine 110.5. In his past 9 trial innings successful England, helium has been dismissed for little than 82 conscionable once.

Head, Smith enactment Aussies successful control

England batter Ollie Pope said connected Thursday they were processing “quirkier ways” to effort and unsettle Smith without elaborating.

“He averages implicit 60 present present ... truthful there's a batch of respect for him,” Pope said.

"But there's besides a batch of talented bowlers successful our changing country who person worked retired ways we tin situation him. I can't accidental excessively overmuch but there's astir apt somewhat antithetic plans this time.

“He's got his routines — his somewhat longer routines — earlier helium faces each shot and helium won't beryllium acceptable until he's done each those routines. What's made him palmy is that stubbornness, and that stubbornness for runs arsenic well. That's precisely the bubble we've got to effort and get him retired of.”

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