Only Don Bradman now has more runs than Steve Smith at the Melbourne Cricket Ground at a better average.
Smith walked out at 154-2 after Usman Khawaja pulled Jasprit Bumrah to KL Rahul. Australia were 237-2 when Washington Sundar took out Marnus Labuschagne. Bumrah then got Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh in quick succession to reduce Australia to 246-5 before Smith and Alex Carey added 53. At stumps, Australia were 311-6 with Smith on 68 and Pat Cummins on eight.
This is Smith’s second consecutive fifty at the MCG and his third in four innings: he had made 85 against South Africa in 2022-23 and 26 and 50 against Pakistan in 2023-24.
There was a phase between 2014-15 and 2017-18 when he had a run of 192 and 14 against India, 134 not out and 70 not out against the West Indies, 165 not out against Pakistan, and 76 and 102 not out against England in four consecutive Test matches. Scores of 85 and 7, 0 and 8, and 16 followed, but Smith has turned things around.
Smith now has 1,161 runs at the MCG at an average of 82.92, the twelfth-best for anyone at a venue with a 1,000-run cut-off, the second-best at the MCG (after Don Bradman’s 1,671 at 128.53), and the fifth-best by anyone at an Australian venue (including Michael Clarke at both the Gabba and Adelaide Oval).
Of batters who have played more innings than Smith’s 19 at a venue, only Kane Williamson (94.94 at Seddon Park) averages more, while Len Hutton also had 93.75 for his 19 innings at The Oval.
Batters with highest average in men’s Test cricket at a venue (1,000 runs)
Updated until end of day one, Australia-India fourth Test, Melbourne
| Batter | Venue | Innings | Runs | Average | 100s |
| Don Bradman | MCG, Melbourne | 17 | 1671 | 128.53 | 9 |
| Greg Chappell | The Gabba, Brisbane | 11 | 1006 | 111.77 | 5 |
| VVS Laxman | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 15 | 1217 | 110.63 | 5 |
| Garry Sobers | Sabina Park, Kingston | 18 | 1354 | 104.15 | 5 |
| Michael Clarke | The Gabba, Brisbane | 13 | 1030 | 103.00 | 5 |
| Zaheer Abbas | Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore | 15 | 1093 | 99.36 | 4 |
| Everton Weekes | Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain | 13 | 1074 | 97.63 | 4 |
| Kane Williamson | Seddon Park, Hamilton | 21 | 1614 | 94.94 | 7 |
| Michael Clarke | Adelaide Oval, Adelaide | 17 | 1414 | 94.26 | 7 |
| Mohammad Yousuf | Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore | 14 | 1125 | 93.75 | 5 |
| Len Hutton | The Oval, London | 19 | 1521 | 89.47 | 4 |
| Steve Smith* | MCG, Melbourne | 19* | 1161* | 82.92* | 4* |
- Apart from Pakistan batters at the UAE, Jack Hobbs is the only batter to have scored 1,000 runs at a venue away from home. He averages 69.29 for his 1,178 runs at the MCG.
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