Steve Smith equals 2 stalwarts to notch up 36th Test hundred with a boundary in SL vs AUS 2nd Test 2025 [Watch]

Veteran Australian batter Steve Smith has motored along to his 36th ton on Day 2 of the second Test against Sri Lanka at the Galle International Stadium. In the process, the right-handed batter has also equaled Joe Root and Rahul Dravid for most centuries in the format, with the latter retiring with 36 centuries.

The moment came in the 63rd over of the innings as Dhananjaya de Silva turned to Kamindu Mendis for his second over of the innings. With Mendis dishing out a long hop, Smith latched on to the pull and put it away to the boundary, and kissed his Baggy Green cap to celebrate. His teammates were also seen applauding from the dressing room.

Watch the clip here:

Steve Smith is also the second-fastest batter to reach 36 hundreds, doing so in just 206 innings, while Ricky Ponting accomplished it only in 200.

Having scored his 17th Test ton as captain, the veteran is also six centuries away from overtaking Ponting for most hundreds for Australia. It has also been Smith's fourth hundred in the last five matches after he returned to form during the third Test against India in Brisbane.

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Centuries from Steve Smith and Alex Carey give Australia lead in Galle

Steve Smith (L) and Alex Carey (R). (Image Credits: Getty)

The tourists bundled Sri Lanka out for 257 after the hosts began the second day at 229/9. However, the hosts pegged back early as Nishan Peiris and Prabath Jayasuriya dismissed Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne cheapy, respectively. Peiris also trapped Usman Khawaja lbw a few overs after lunch, ending his half-century stand with Smith.

With Josh Inglis battling a back injury, the management promoted Alex Carey to bat in the line-up and the wicketkeeper-batter got to his second Test ton only in 118 deliveries.

It was the hosts who won the toss but failed to make the most of the decent batting conditions. Only Dinesh Chandimal and Kusal Mendis passed half-centuries. Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, and Matthew Kuhnemann picked up three wickets each to keep the opposition down to 257 in 97.4 overs.