Listing fastest Australian batters to complete 3,000 ODI runs
What's the story
Dashing opener Travis Head recently became the fastest Australian to complete 3,000 runs in One Day Internationals (ODIs). He achieved this feat in his 76th innings, during the third ODI against India at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Albeit in a losing cause, he ended up scoring 29 in the game. On this note, we list down the fastest Aussie batters to complete 3,000 runs in the format.
#1
Travis Head - 76 innings
As mentioned, Head now tops this list, having completed 3,000 runs in just 76 innings. Overall, in 79 ODI matches, Head has raced to a total of 3,007 runs at 43.57. In addition to seven tons, he has slammed 17 fifties. As per Cricbuzz, Head also became the fourth-fastest batter in the world to reach 3,000 ODI runs in terms of balls faced (2,839 balls). His strike rate of 105.73 is the fourth-best among batters with at least 3,000 runs.
#2
Steve Smith - 79 innings
Head's achievement shattered the previous record held by Steve Smith, who had achieved the same milestone in 79 innings. In 170 ODIs, Smith scored 5,800 runs at an average of 43.28. He smashed 12 tons and 35 fifties. Notably, Smith retired from ODIs earlier this year after his final appearance in the ICC Champions Trophy semi-final defeat against India in Dubai.
#3
George Bailey & Michael Bevan - 80 innings
Former batters George Bailey and Michael Bevan share the third spot on this list, having both reached this milestone in 80 innings each. Bevan, who aced the finisher's role for the Aussies in the late 90s and early 2000s, smashed 6,912 runs at an average of 53.58 in 232 ODIs (100s: 6, 50s: 46). Meanwhile, Bailey went on to feature in a total of 90 ODIs, slamming 30,44 runs at an average of 40.58 (100s: 3, 50s: 22).