5 best Test innings of 2019

3. Steve Smith (144 vs England, Birmingham)

Steve Smith made a triumphant return to Test cricket in the Ashes 2019

Consider the situation – Steve Smith is making a return to Test cricket after a year-long ban for ball-tampering; his team is in a difficult situation at 35/3, then 105/5; the ball is still moving and England have good swing bowlers in Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes and Ben Stokes.

What happened next was a reassertion by Smith, in the most emphatic manner, of the fact that his class and quality were intact. The former captain played a splendid innings of 144 where he left the English bowlers feeling helpless against a man who had tormented them previously too.

With wickets falling at the other end, Smith showed that his unorthodox technique was good enough to succeed in English conditions even at that sensitive stage of his career. He also assured Australian fans that the ban had only increased his will to succeed.

This was the beginning of a golden series for the Aussie batsman, where he played the key role in his team retaining the Ashes.