Australia now leads the three-match series 2-0 and cannot be overtaken thanks to the victory.
Despite missing the first game of the series, Steve Smith was a key contributor to Australia’s victory. The Australians reached a match-winning score thanks to his crucial 71 in the third innings.
Let’s examine his impressive Test results against the West Indies in light of this.
Steve Smith’s Grit Shines as Australia Turn the Tide
When Australia were struggling at 28/3 in the third innings, it looked like the West Indies might have the upper hand. But then came Steve Smith, calm and composed, ready to anchor the innings. It was a stark contrast to his first-innings failure, where he managed just three runs.
Smith stitched a crucial 93-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Cameron Green (52), which not only rescued Australia but also gave them momentum in the game. Though Smith eventually fell for 71 off 119 balls, his resilient innings helped Australia post 243 runs, which proved enough to secure a victory.
Dominance Against West Indies
According to ESPNcricinfo, Smith has played 10 Tests against West Indies, scoring 946 runs in 17 innings at an astounding average of 105.11. This makes him the highest averaging batter (minimum 600 runs) against WI in Test history.
To put it in perspective:
Mohammad Yousuf of Pakistan trails him with an average of 101.16
Smith’s tally includes 3 centuries and 4 half-centuries against the Windies
Consistent Even on Caribbean Soil
Out of those 946 runs, 357 have come in West Indies, where he averages an impressive 89.25. In those matches, Smith has delivered three 50+ scores across six innings. His 199 in the 2015 Kingston Test remains iconic and is the joint-sixth highest score by an Australian in the Caribbean.
His career-best Test score against West Indies came much later, in 2022 at Perth, where he scored an unbeaten 200. With this, he joined Steve Waugh and Bill Lawry as the only Australians with multiple 190+ scores against the West Indies.
Home Heroics: A Stunning Average
Smith’s dominance doesn’t end on foreign pitches. At home, he has been nearly invincible against the Windies. He averages a jaw-dropping 117.80 in home Tests against them, having amassed 589 runs in 11 innings.
In fact, only Mohammad Yousuf (133) has a higher home average against the West Indies (minimum 500 runs). Doug Walters is the only other Australian on this elite list, averaging 116.50.
Smith’s Career in Numbers
Earlier this year, Steve Smith became just the fourth Australian to complete 10,000 Test runs. Having played 118 Tests, he now boasts 10,424 runs at an outstanding average of 56.34.
Among the 15 batters to cross the 10,000-run milestone, only Kumar Sangakkara (57.40) has a better average. Smith’s tally includes:
36 Test centuries
43 fifties
4 double centuries
In terms of Test tons, he is second only to Ricky Ponting (41) among Australians.