Brisbane: During the broadcast of Day 2 in Brisbane, images were displayed illustrating the evolution of Steve Smith's batting setup throughout the Border Gavaskar Trophy series. In Perth, he opted to cover his stumps, while in Adelaide, he adopted a leg-stump guard. At the Gabba, his stance appeared more open, and he also modified his trigger movement.

These adjustments were often interpreted as indicators of a struggle, suggesting a once-great player grappling to maintain his form. The Sydney Morning Herald remarked that "Smith’s glory days are gone," while former Australian opener Simon Katich noted that "history suggests he won’t be back to his best." Others pointed out that his once formidable strength—playing the ball from off-stump—had now become a significant vulnerability.

At 36 years of age, Smith scored 110 in the second Test at Lord’s in June of the previous year, yet he had not achieved a century in 24 innings since then. Regarded as Australia's finest batsman since Don Bradman, many believed his prime had passed.

For much of Sunday, these grim assessments appeared accurate. He was frequently beaten, took hits to the body, and struggled to find his rhythm, resulting in a lack of runs. Nevertheless, he remained resolute. True genius often manifests as perseverance.

In one over from Akash Deep, he was beaten four times, while Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj also posed significant challenges. Such innings are sometimes essential for great players, where fortune plays as crucial a role as skill, ultimately leading to a hard-fought century.

"I feel like I’ve been batting well the last month," Smith stated. "It was about sticking to my processes and trusting that things would turn around."

He added, "You need a bit of luck on these surfaces we’re playing on at the moment. I think I got some luck early on and made the most of it."

Smith's ability to capitalize on this luck proved problematic for India. It was only towards the conclusion of his 101-run innings that glimpses of his former fluency began to resurface. While the innings were undoubtedly scratchy, accumulating runs is vital for both the team and the individual.

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