Steve Smith becomes 3rd fastest Australian to score 5,000 runs in Test cricket

Ranchi: He may have started his career as a replacement for Aussie spin legend Shane Warne seven years ago in Lords’, but Steve Smith has gone a long way to etch his name in the history books, during the first day of the third Test between India and Australia.

The Australia skipper became the third fastest batsman from his country to reach the 5,000-run mark, at the Jharkhand Cricket Association stadium in Ranchi, on Thursday.

Smith took 97 innings to reach the 5,000-run mark, just two innings behind former Aussie opener Matthew Hayden. Legendary Australian batsman Sir Don Bradman leads the list by a long way, as he reached this milestone in just 56 innings.

Fastest Australians to score 5,000 runs:

1. Sir Donald Bradman: 56 innings|
2. Matthew Hayden: 95 innings
3. Steve Smith: 97 innings

Overall, Smith became the seventh fastest batsman to reach the mark, behind greats like Bradman, Sunil Gavaskar, Sir Viv Richards, and Hayden.

Fastest cricketers to score 5,000 runs (in terms of innings):

1. Sir Donald Bradman: 56 innings
2. Jack Hobbs: 91 innings
3. Garfield Sobers: 95 innings
3. Sunil Gavaskar
3. Sir Viv Richards
3. Matthew Hayden
4. Steve Smith: 97 innings

However, in terms of the number of matches played to score 5,000 runs, Smith stands at number three, behind the likes of Bradman and Gavaskar.

Fastest cricketers to score 5,000 runs (in terms of matches):

1. Sir Don Bradman: 36 Tests
2. Sunil Gavaskar: 52 Tests
3. Steve Smith: 53 Tests

With this, Smith also becomes the 11th batsman in the history of the sport to score 5,000 runs before playing 100 Tests. Even cricketing legends like Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara have not been able to achieve this feat.