Steve Smith Set For 100th Test Appearance in ENGvsAUS 3rd Ashes 2023 Match at Headingley

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Australian run-machine Steve Smith is set to make his 100th Test appearance when he takes the field to face England in the third Ashes 2023 Test match at the Headingley in Leeds on Thursday (July 6).

In 99 Tests, Smith has amassed 9113 runs, including 32 hundreds, at an impressive average of 59.56. He has also scored four double hundreds with his highest score being 239, and 37 fifties in his Test career so far.

In the second Ashes Test at Lord's last week, Smith scored his 32nd Test hundred, slamming 110 runs off 184 balls in the first innings, which helped Australia beat England by 43 runs and take a 2-0 lead in Ashes 2023.

The 34-year-old will look to achieve something similar on his milestone appearance as he eyes a Ashes series win on English soil for the first time to celebrate the 100th Test appearance.

"It is something that has been on my bucket list, to win an Ashes series in England. What a way to top it off, if I could do it in my 100th game. It would be special for sure," Smith said ahead of the match.

With his appearance on Thursday (July 6), Smith will become the 15th Australian to reach the three figure-mark in number of Test matches. He will also become the third active player from Australia to achieve the feat. Here is a look at Australia players with most Test appearances.

Most Test Appearances For Australia

Former Australia captain and the player with most Test appearances for the country has ranked Smith as the second-greatest batter in Australian history. Ponting said this in reply to Nasser Hussain's question for Daily Mail.

"Steve Smith will play his 100th Test at Headingley. Where would you rank him among Australian greats?" Hussain asked Ponting ahead of the 3rd Ashes 2023 Test.

"If it all ended tomorrow he'd be the second-greatest batsman Australia have produced after Don Bradman. Statistically, you cannot argue with that. He's achieving things so quickly. Even at Lord's, he became the second-fastest in history to reach 9,000 Test runs", replied the Aussie legend.

Smith will also aim to join an elite list of players to score an hundred in their 100th Test match appearance. If he achieves the feat, Smith will become the 11th player overall and third Australian to score hundred or more in their 100th Test match.

His rival Joe Root from England, and teammate David Warner are the two players to manage that feat recently. The due in fact scored double hundreds. Here is a look at players to score century in their 100th Test.

Players scoring hundred in 100th Test