Steve Smith’s sublime summer with the bat has continued against India at the SCG, with his fourth hundred in successive Tests.

Smith rewrote cricket’s history books early on day two of the fourth Test on Wednesday before he was dismissed for 117, shortly before lunch.

After starting the day on 82, with Australia at 2-348 Smith picked up where he left off from day one moving quickly through the 80s and 90s on the back of a succession of boundaries to bring up triple figures and continue his incredible run of form.

It is Smith’s fourth Test ton in successive Tests after he hit 162 not out in the first Test in Adelaide, 133 in the second Test in Brisbane and 192 in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.

The stand-in Australia skipper has become the first captain in the history of Test cricket to score 100 in his first three matches as leader.

The 25-year-old joins Jacques Kallis as the only player to score a hundred in every Test of a four Test series.

The former South African allrounder managed the feat in the 2003/04 home series against the West Indies.

Smith joins Sir Donald Bradman, Neil Harvey, Jack Fingleton and Matthew Hayden as the only Australian batsmen to score hundreds in four or more successive Tests.

“He is certainly making batting look extremely easy,” injured Australian skipper Michael Clarke said in his role as a commentator on Channel Nine.

“He is that confident at the moment.”

The Australian No.4 swatted a full toss on his pads from Umesh Yadav through mid-wicket for four to bring up the milestone on the final ball of the 100th over.

Smith ran the length of the pitch before taking off his helmet and acknowledging a standing ovation from his Australian teammates and the crowd.

He then looked to the heavens and raised his bat as a tribute to Phil Hughes, who died after being struck by a bouncer at the SCG in November.

Smith had played a chanceless, near faultess innings and there was subsequently an element of shock when he was finally out caught behind by Wriddhiman Saha off the bowling of Umesh Yadav in the 114th over.

Smith is by far the leading run-scorer in the series, with 698 runs at an average of 139.60.