Five iconic ODI knocks of Steve Smith: Loved batting against India, belted Pakistan in Sharjah

Steve Smith has shocked the cricketing world by announcing his retirement from ODI cricket after Australia’s exit from the Champions Trophy. Smith, who was leading the Australian team in the CT 2025, failed to inspire them to win another ICC title as they lost the semis to India. The premier batter has now decided to focus on Test cricket, and a big decision has been made to prolong his red-ball career.

Smith made his debut against the West Indies in 2010 as a leg-spinning allrounder and went on to play 170 ODIs and tallied 5,800 runs at an average of 43.28, including 12 centuries.

Here are the greatest knocks played by Steve Smith in ODIs:

105 vs IND – 2015 World Cup: It was a big-ticket semifinal, and Smith raised his hands on the occasion to play a career-defining knock. The premier batter entered the semis with a couple of crucial knocks prior in the tournament but the stakes were high in Sydney as India were the defending champions and favourites to win the title. Batting first, Smith laid the foundation of Australia 328/7 with his 105-run knock, which was laced with 11 fours and two sixes. The hosts won the match by 95 runs after bowling out India for 233 and Smith was named Player of the Match for his incredible century.

164 vs NZ – 2016 at SCG – Smith enjoyed batting at SCG in ODIs as he posted his highest score in the format at the venue against New Zealand – 164. It was a one-man show from the local boy as he held one end after coming out to bat in the first over and batted till the 48th over his 157-ball stay was laced with 14 fours and 4 sixes as Australia went on post a formidable 324/8 in 50 overs. It wasn’t the ideal batting surface, with enough assistance for the pacers to make life difficult for the batters, but Smith showcased his class and helped Australia win the match by 68 runs.

101 vs PAK – 2014 at Sharjah – The first century is always special for any player, and it became even sweeter when it comes to tough conditions, and that is what Smith felt when he breached the triple-figure mark for the first time. It was a tricky Sharjah surface where the spinners were ruling the roost, and Pakistan managed to spin their web around other batters, but Smith produced a masterclass with a 101-run knock off 118 balls as Australia posted a challenging 255/8 on the scoreboard. The bowlers complemented Smith’s efforts as the Aussies won the match by 93 runs.

104 vs IND – 2020 SCG – Smith enjoys batting against India as his, irrespective of the format, he haunted the the Men in Blue over the years. It was the series after the COVID-break, and Smith showed absolutely no rustiness and smashed a 64-ball 104 runs to showcase he has the ability to bat a strike rate of over 150. He was at his destructive best and smashed 14 fours and two sixes to help Australia post a mammoth 389/4, which turned out to be too much for India.

65 vs PAK – 2015 World Cup – The quarterfinals are remembered for the Wahab Riaz vs Shane Watson battle on the field, but Smith set up the foundation for the win. The Aussie number 3. scored a gritty 65-run knock off 69 balls laced with seven boundaries. He stitched a crucial 89-run stand with Watson to revive the chase and battled out the tough phase when Riaz was unleashing fire with his sharp bouncers.