He also joined Ricky Ponting as the only batsmen in Test history to have made six centuries in a calendar year on multiple occasions. Australia only lost two wickets on the fifth day but coasted through after lunch to finish on 263 for four with Mitchell Marsh not out on 29. The hosts have already clinched the Ashes with an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series ahead of the fifth and final Test in Sydney next week. It was just the second drawn Boxing Day Test in 20 years, although there was criticism of the lifeless state of the Melbourne Cricket Ground drop-in pitch."I am in a nice place mentally and am comfortably with the game. I am enjoying batting and love my batting. Hopefully I can get another big score at Sydney in a week's time."
More reaction from Aussie skipper @stevesmith49 ? https://t.co/fmExz2RQ1Q#Ashes #bbccricket pic.twitter.com/jeBJxXsdhO— Test Match Special (@bbctms) December 30, 2017
Smith and Marsh comfortably batted through after lunch to ensure England were unable to go for the win after leading by 164 runs on the first innings, following a record-breaking unbeaten 244 from opener Alastair Cook. The Australia captain led the salvage operation in a 275-ball vigil to take his series tally to 604 runs at an average of 151.00 after losing batting partners David Warner and Shaun Marsh before lunch on the final day. After two painstaking hours of minimal scoring, the tourists grabbed the wickets of Warner and Marsh to briefly raise hopes of grabbing their first win in an already-decided series. Warner had looked set for his 22nd Test hundred and second century of the match before he attempted to slog the second ball of Joe Root's first over. The ball, pitched into the foot marks, skewed into the air and James Vince took a comfortable catch in the covers to give Root the perfect present on his 27th birthday.Take a bow, Steve Smith. Test match ton No.23 #ohwhatafeeling#Ashes @Toyota_Aus pic.twitter.com/Ar83x2xAUy
— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) December 30, 2017
Warner dropped his head realising he had botched a golden chance to claim Test twin centuries for a fourth time in his career. The normally adventurous opener played with great circumspection to keep England at bay, batting for 301 minutes and 227 balls in his slowest Test innings. His dismissal also ended a 107-run stand with Smith, which helped Australia wipe out the innings deficit. There was some rare excitement in the final over before lunch when Marsh edged Stuart Broad to wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow, who took a splendid catch."We tried pretty much everything. Maybe I could've come on to bowl a little bit earlier and played on the ego a bit earlier."
?? More reaction from @root66 ? https://t.co/fmExz2RQ1Q#Ashes #bbccricket pic.twitter.com/HD7UCP3oP4— Test Match Special (@bbctms) December 30, 2017
Cook was named man-of-the-match after carrying his bat in England's first innings. It was the highest score by a batsman carrying his bat in Test history, bettering New Zealander Glenn Turner's 223 not out against the West Indies in Kingston in 1972.Not a great deal happening is there? Someone chuck a caption on this to keep us awake... #Ashes pic.twitter.com/feRvqKu1D6
— The Cricketer (@TheCricketerMag) December 30, 2017
The last Englishman to carry his bat through a Test innings was Mike Atherton with 94 against New Zealand in 1997. Cook also surpassed the highest score by a visiting batsman in a Test match at the famous MCG, bettering the 208 by West Indian great Viv Richards in 1984. There was a total attendance of 262,616 fans over the five days.BRIEF SCORE:Australia 327 (Warner 103, Smith 76, S Marsh 61, Broad 4-51, Anderson 3-61) and 4 for 263 (Smith 102*, Warner 86) drew with England 491 (Cook 244*, Root 61, Broad 56, Cummins 4-117, Hazlewood 3-95, Lyon 3-109)What a player!#Ashes @MastercardAU pic.twitter.com/aQLy2LDKXz
— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) December 30, 2017
