Super Smith conquers Proteas, goes past Bradman

Steve Smith fulfilled his burning desire to fire against his bogey team after registering his first Test century against South Africa in almost nine years, driving his name further into the pantheon of the game's greats.

An imperious Smith dominated a ragged South African outfit at the SCG from go to whoa, moving past Sir Donald Bradman's mark of 29 tons to become just the fourth Australian after Ricky Ponting (41), Steve Waugh (32) and Matthew Hayden (30) to reach 30.

The 33-year-old serenely soaked up applause after pulling Anrich Nortje to the leg-side boundary, sharing an embrace with Usman Khawaja (with whom he shared a 209-run third-wicket stand) having watched his teammate earlier revel in his own hundred.

After watching Khawaja celebrate with a typically lively jig on the outfield near the Member's pavilion, Smith might have taken some inspiration from his teammate's cheeky sense of humour as he broke into a wide grin and appeared to mimic starting a chainsaw.

Until then, Smith had been all business having vowed before this NRMA Insurance Test series to improve his record against the Proteas.

"South Africa are the one team that have bowled pretty well to me in the past, my record's probably not as good against them as some of the others," said Smith, whose average against them coming into the series was 41.53, the lowest of any team he's played at least three Tests against.

In Melbourne last week, Smith improved that record in posting 85 in gruelling heat while battling the flu before falling short of the triple-figure score he craved when he was caught at point.

But a chanceless hand across days one and two of the third Test saw him right his wrong, as he handled the disruptions of bad light and inclement weather as well the South African bowling.

The right-hander, who had tinkered with his technique before the summer, adapted his approach to a placid SCG pitch which has seen the visitors target him with reverse swing – Marco Jansen delivering the most testing spell – and spin.

"I know the SCG pretty well," Smith told Fox Cricket. "I just try and play the situation.

"That just felt right for me, going back and across to Jansen, the way the ball was coming out of his hand.

"That's part of playing here for a long time. You've just got to adapt to the conditions and play what's in front of you and do it straightaway."

Cautious early as he commenced his innings in overcast conditions (he did not face a ball the previous evening after being called to the crease right before a rain delay), he scored just 12 from his first 55 deliveries, before swiftly picking up the pace of the surface and taking the attack to the South Africans.

He was particularly savage when their fast bowlers dropped short, demonstrating his increased power playing the pull shot after his pre-summer technical tweaks, while he did not allow spin pair Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer to settle.

He brought up his second ton of the summer after scoring an unbeaten 200 against West Indies in Perth during a rare period of bright sunshine during the second day's afternoon session, before falling a short time later for 104 when he popped a return catch to Maharaj, who could hardly believe his luck in taking his first wicket of the series.

Smith's latest milestone is a reminder of the kind of historical company he is in.

Fast approaching 9,000 Test runs, he today passed the hauls of Hayden (8,635 runs) when he moved into the 80s, and then Michael Clarke (8,643) when he got to triple digits.

But perhaps the most satisfying aspect of the innings for Smith will be that he has once again conquered a South African side that have had the better of him.

Smith had posted an even hundred in his first Test innings against South Africa, in Centurion in 2014, but then endured a run of 19 innings without one before today.

Men's NRMA Insurance Test Series v South Africa

First Test: Australia won by six wickets

Second Test: Australia won by an innings and 182 runs

Jan 4-8: Third Test, SCG, 10.30am AEDT

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Lance Morris, Nathan Lyon, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, David Warner

South Africa squad: Dean Elgar (c), Temba Bavuma, Gerald Coetzee, Theunis de Bruyn, Sarel Eree, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Heinrich Klaasen, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne, Lizaad Williams, Khaya Zondo

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