Steve Smith, Aaron Finch claim records with centuries in India vs Australia, 1st ODI at SCG

Steven Smith and Aaron Finch claimed records with their respective century in the first One-Day International (ODI) between India and Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Friday.

Smith, who scored 66-ball 105, reached the 100-run mark off 62 deliveries and therefore registered the third fastest century by an Australian batsman. Glenn Maxwell (51 balls) holds the record for the fastest ODI hundred by an Aussie ahead of James Faulkner (57 balls). At the same venue of SCG, Maxwell had smashed a 53-ball 102 against Sri Lanka in 2015, while Faulkner set the record against India in Bengaluru in 2013 with his knock of 116 from 73 balls.

Finch, who scored 114 runs from 124 deliveries on Friday, surpassed former Australian skipper Michael Clarke in the record of most centuries for Australia as a captain. Finch, who has scored 17 ODI tons, is second in the list with six centuries as Australia captain, behind leader Ricky Ponting, who had hit 21 centuries during his tenure as the national captain in the 50-over format.

The 34-year-old Finch, who built a 156-run opening stand with David Warner in the first innings, was involved in another Australia record in the ODIs. Finch and Warner now have shared a stand of 150 or more runs more than any other pair for Australia in ODIs. The next best on the list is the duo of Steve Waugh and Adam Gilchrist, who did that four times ahead of Ponting-Shane Watson (3 times), Ponting-Matthew Hayden (3 times), and Finch-Smith (3 times).

Smith and Finch's centuries along with Warner's 76-ball 69 helped Australia to post 374 for 6 in 50 overs. Maxwell, who failed to strike a single six in the Indian Premier League (IPL0 2020) earlier this year in the UAE, chipped in with a cameo of 19-ball 45. In reply to that, India reached 53 for no loss in five overs before Josh Hazlewood drew first blood by removing Mayank Agarwal, who scored 22 from 18 balls.

Earlier, Finch also completed 5,000 ODIs. By reaching claiming the milestone in 126 innings, the explosive batter became the second fastest Australian to 5,000 ODI runs. In the process, he beat Dean Jones, who took 128 innings to 5,000 ODI runs. Warner holds the record of fastest Australian to 5,000 ODI runs, who took only 115 innings. Warner is also third in the overall list of fastest batsmen to the landmark, behind leader Hashim Amla (101 innings), and the joint-second duo of Sir Viv Richards and Virat Kohli (114 innings).