ISLAMABAD – Steve Smith marked his return to the international cricket inimperious fashion with a third hundred of the Ashes series on Thursday asAustralia put themselves in a dominant position in the fourth Test.
Smith was 173 not out in Australia’s commanding 369-5 at tea on the secondday of the match against England at Old Trafford.
It was his highest score of a series during which Smith’s lowest total infour innings is 92. This was also the eighth time he had passed 150 in aTest and the third instance against England, although he was reprievedtwice on Thursday.
Smith and Tim Paine (58 not out), his successor as Australia captain, havenow put on an unbeaten 145 for the sixth wicket,with the tourists goingthrough the second session without losing a wicket.
Despite England’s dramatic one-wicket win in the third Test at Headingleyin Smith’s absence to square the five-match series at 1-1, the top-orderproblems that saw them dismissed for just 67 in the first innings in Leedsremain intact.
With Australia left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc looking to make a markin his first Test of the series, England faced a tough task just to getback on level terms in Manchester. -APP/AFP