Australia’s Steve Smith said he had contemplated the end of his career after marking his first Test since a year-long ball-tampering ban with a superb century on the opening day of the 2019 Ashes.
The tourists were struggling at 17-2 at Edgbaston on Thursday when former Australia captain Smith walked out to bat and they later collapsed to 122-8.
But Smith, ignoring the repeated boos of the crowd, made 144 in a total of 284 after current Australia skipper Tim Paine won the toss before England closed on 10-0.
“There were times throughout the last 15 months where I didn’t know if I was ever going to play cricket again,” Smith, renowned for his obsessive devotion to the sport, told after stumps.
“I lost a bit of love for it at one point, particularly when I had my elbow operation.
“It was really bizarre that it was the day I got the brace off my elbow, I found a love for it again.
“I don’t know what it was, it was like a trigger that just said ‘right I’m ready to go again, I want to play and I want to go out and play for Australia and make people proud and just do what I love doing’.
When Broad eventually bowled Smith, the paceman had his 100th Test wicket against Australia after completing an innings haul of 5-86.
