Steve Smith Now Only Behind Don Bradman in Ashes History

Australia were 234 for 3 when Steve Smith walked out to bat at his home ground, the SCG, in the fifth and final Ashes Test. Questions around his Test future continue to swirl. However, Smith shut down retirement talk on the eve of the match. And once again, he let his bat do the talking.

The stand-in skipper returned to the pavilion after scoring 138 off 220 balls, registering his 37th Test century.

It was also his 13th Ashes hundred, now the second-most by any batter, behind only Don Bradman (19). Smith had been level with Jack Hobbs on 12 before this knock.

Steve Smith climbs Ashes run charts

Smith has now scored 3,682 runs in the Ashes, making him the second-highest run-scorer in the history of the series, again behind Bradman’s 5,028. He crossed Hobbs’ tally of 3,636 during this innings.

This was arguably one of the most comfortable hundreds of Smith’s career. England’s bowling attack was without three frontline quicks due to injuries.

Smith punished the loose bowling. He struck 16 boundaries and hit every one of England’s four seamers for at least three fours. He also took on Jacob Bethell’s left-arm spin, hitting the only six of his innings straight down the ground.

Steve Smith Joins Elite Company in Tests

Smith reached 37 Test centuries in 219 innings. Only Ricky Ponting (212) and Kumar Sangakkara (218) got there quicker. Joe Root reached the same mark in 284 innings and now has 41 hundreds from 297 innings.

His 13 Ashes centuries are also the joint second-most hundreds scored by a batter against a single opponent. Sunil Gavaskar against West Indies and Joe Root against India also have 13. Only Bradman sits above them.

Smith’s Record as Captain

This was Smith’s 18th Test hundred as captain. Only three players have more:

Out of Smith’s 18 tons as skipper, 11 have come at home from 26 Tests, the joint-most alongside Ponting.

Steve Smith at the SCG

This was Smith’s fifth Test century at the SCG, the second-most at the venue, behind Ponting’s six. He is also the second-highest run-scorer in Tests at the SCG, again trailing only Ponting.

Australia’s dominance in the Ashes 2025/26 meant Smith was rarely required earlier in the series. He scored 17 and 2* in Perth, followed by 61 and 23* in Brisbane. He missed the Adelaide Test due to illness and returned at the MCG with the series already secured.

But at the SCG, Smith got his chance. And as his Ashes record shows, he rarely lets those slip.

Smith on his Test future

Asked about the 2027 Ashes tour to England, Smith said:

“I’m taking it day by day, series by series and we’ll see where things land. I feel like I’m doing all right at the moment. I’m enjoying it. I’m contributing and having fun. There’s no real end date for me, I suppose… I want to keep playing.”

Experienced batters like David Warner and Usman Khawaja have retired from the format in recent years, leaving Australia with a challenge to find long-term replacements. At 37 Test hundreds and counting, Steve Smith is one of Australia’s most reliable and experienced match-winners. And with Don Bradman’s record still in sight, Smith’s time in the ‘Baggy Green’ is far from over.