By Sam Ferris at the SCG

STEVE Smith proved his blazing 62-ball hundred on Friday was no fluke by doubling down with another brilliant century from the exact same number of balls on Sunday.
Smith was scratchy in the early stages of the first Dettol ODI Series clash but today he looked in complete control from ball one, toying with India’s bowlers in stifling heat.
The right-hander reached three figures from the final ball of the 41st over and could have broken his previous best had batting partner Marnus Labuschagne not slipped when turning for what would have been his 100th run.

Instead, Smith settled for another 62-ball hundred.
A sold out, half-full Sydney Cricket Ground rose as one when Smith brought up the milestone, comprised of 13 fours, two sixes, 28 singles and four twos.
Smith has now hit the third-fastest men’s ODI hundred for Australia twice, behind only Glenn Maxwell (51 balls) and James Faulkner (57).

FASTEST MEN’S ODI CENTURIES BY AUSTRALIANS
Glenn Maxwell – 51 balls v Sri Lanka, Sydney, 2015
James Faulkner – 57 balls v India, Bangalore, 2013
Steve Smith – 62 balls v India, Sydney, 2020*
Steve Smith – 62 balls v India, Sydney, 2020
Matthew Hayden – 66 balls, v South Africa, St Kitts, 2007

Smith said he rated Sunday’s innings even higher than Friday’s, explaining the SCG wicket was a little slower and more difficult to score on.
“It was nice to score another quick one and put us in a good position,” he told Fox Cricket before India’s innings.
Smith was 30 from 30 balls in the series opener and today he got set to be 21 from 21 before putting his foot down to reach his half-century from just 38 deliveries.
It was carnage from then on. Sublime drives through the covers and lofted shots straight down the ground peppered the boundary rope, while he kept ticking the scoreboard over with singles that continued to put the flat Indian fielders under pressure.

Needing to score 12 runs from four deliveries to beat Friday’s feat, he took leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal for two to long on, then belted him over his head for six, then two more to the leg-side to be on 98 from 60 balls.

A punch to wide long-on looked to be enough for the ton, but as Labuschagne turned for the second he lost his footing to leave Smith on 99 and draw a groan from the crowd.
Labuschagne got off strike the following ball to allow Smith to drive to long on for his century, the 11th for his country in 50-over cricket and his fourth against India.
It was third in a row against Virat Kohli’s charges having scored 131 in the third ODI of Australia’s away series in India earlier this year.

Unlike Friday, when he was dropped on 38, Smith’s innings Sunday’s knock was faultless.
The only mishap was when he was on nine and David Warner was run out by a bullet of a throw from Shreyas Iyer at long off that hit the stumps at the non-striker’s end with the left-hander short of his ground coming back for second run.

He was unfazed from there though, combining with Labuschagne to post a 138-run third-wicket stand before he was dismissed, caught at a short third man having slipped over trying an audacious lofted late cut.

(Cricket.com.au)