NEW DELHI: Explosive opener Travis Head stole the spotlight from Steve Smith on Saturday, becoming the fastest Australian to reach 3,000 ODI runs with a blistering knock in the third ODI at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

After quiet performances in Perth and Adelaide, Head roared back to form in Sydney, taking full advantage of a true surface sprinkled with a few cracks.

On a ground known for big scores, the left-hander unleashed a flurry of powerful strokes from his wide range of shots. He brought up the milestone in his 76th innings, calmly nudging the ball to mid-off for a quick single - a moment that capped yet another fearless display from one of Australia's most dynamic batters.

The 31-year-old reached the milestone in style, surpassing Smith by three innings to become the fastest Australian to 3,000 ODI runs. While Smith took 79 innings to get there, Head achieved the feat in just 76. Former stars Michael Bevan and George Bailey now share the third spot, both having reached the mark in 80 innings.

When measured by balls faced, Head's achievement looks even more impressive - he needed just 2,839 deliveries to cross the landmark, making him the fourth quickest overall, behind only Glenn Maxwell (2,440), Jos Buttler (2,533), and Jason Roy (2,820).

Head drew the first blood by flicking Mohammed Siraj's curling ball to find the first boundary of the day in the third over. He continued to torment Siraj in his next over, picking up two boundaries with precision and then pulled Prasidh Krishna for a four to flaunt his rich form.

In the final over of the powerplay, Head went after Siraj and carved the ball over the covers for a four. However, it was the Indian mainstay who had the last laugh after Head failed to control his late cut on the next ball and dispatched it straight into the hands of Prasidh Krishna, stationed at backward point. This was the ninth instance of Siraj dismissing Head in 19 innings across all formats

Head's promising knock came to a bitter end on 29(25), his highest in the three-match series. In 79 matches, Head now boasts 3,007 runs averaging 43.57, while striking at 105.73.