5 milestones achieved by Travis Head and Steve Smith during their mammoth partnership on Day 2 of BGT 2024-25 3rd Test
Travis Head and Steve Smith combined to take the attack to the Indian bowling on the second day (December 15) of the ongoing third Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 Test at the Gabba.
Resuming after putting up 28 for no loss on a rain-hit opening day, Australia lost three wickets in quick time and were reduced to 75/3. However, Travis Head and Steve Smith then joined hands to make the Indian bowlers toil hard.
Smith got past his poor form to slam a hundred (101 off 190 deliveries) while Head continued his onslaught against India, scoring 152 runs off just 160 deliveries. The duo put up a 241-run stand for the fourth wicket, propelling Australia to end the day at 405/7.
Courtesy of their record partnership at the Gabba, the duo also achieved some milestones. Here are five of them:
#5 Travis Head crossed 1000 runs against India
Travis Head continued to be a nightmare for India, once again scoring big against them. He slammed 152 runs off just 160 deliveries, including 18 boundaries. In the process, he crossed 1000 Test runs against India, continuing his brilliant form against the visitors.
Head now has 1107 Test runs against India from 13 matches and 22 innings at an average of 52.71, with three hundreds and four half-centuries. He also became the first batter to have a king pair and a century at the same venue in the same calendar year.
#4 Australia posted 400-plus against India for the first time across three home series
Australia ended day two at the Gabba on 405/7. This was the first time the hosts posted over 400 runs against India in 11 Tests, ranging across three home series. The partnership between Travis Head and Steve Smith largely helped Australia go past the 400-run mark.
The last time the hosts posted a total in excess of 400 against India in home Tests was in 2015 when they put up 572/7 in Sydney.
#3 12th highest partnership in the history of BGT
Travis Head and Steve Smith's 241-run stand against India in the third BGT 2024-25 Test was the 12th-highest partnership in the history of the series.
Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke put up a record 386-run stand against India during the fourth Test of the 2011-12 series in Adelaide, which remains the highest partnership in BGT history.
#2 4th highest stand for fourth wicket in BGT for Australia
The 241-run stand between Travis Head and Steve Smith is the fourth-highest fourth-wicket partnership for Australia in the BGT. Moreover, it is also the third-highest fourth-wicket partnership at the Gabba.
Michael Clarke and Michael Hussey put up a 245-run stand for the fourth wicket at the Gabba in 2007 against Sri Lanka, while Ed Cowan and Michael Clarke put up 259 against South Africa in 2012.
#1 Highest Partnership against India at the Gabba
The 241-run stand between Head and Smith was also the highest partnership against India for Australia at the Gabba (for any wicket).
Previously, Steve Smith and Mitchell Johnson put up a 148-run stand for the seventh wicket in 2014, which was the highest partnership for Australia against India at the venue until Head and Smith's 241-run stand.