Steven Smith caps epic 2017 with hundred to deny England

The Boxing Day Test started as a dead rubber, and by day five rigor mortis had well and truly set in. David Warner scored the slowest half-century of his Test career and Steven Smith ground out his second-slowest Test hundred as Australia dead-batted their way to a draw that ensured there was no consolation victory for England at the MCG, despite Alastair Cook's monumental bat-carrying effort of 244. But neither will there be an Australian clean sweep.

The day began with Australia on 2 for 103, still trailing by 61 runs. England could reasonably have hoped that a couple of early wickets might give them a strong victory chance. But on the most docile of pitches it took a batting brain-explosion to break the partnership between Smith and Warner, when Warner inexplicably tried to smash the part-time offspin of Joe Root over the infield. Only one more wicket fell for the entire day's play.

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