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A look at unique records of Australian maestro Steve Smith
Last updated on Jan 10, 2021, 03:37 pm
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Australia's premier batsman Steve Smith staged a remarkable comeback in the ongoing SCG Test, after enduring a lean patch.
He slammed a record-equaling 27th Test ton in the first innings and followed it up with a half-century later on.
This was his first ton after 14 straight innings, the most between two centuries in his career.
We present his unique records in Test cricket.
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In this articleSecond-highest batting average after Donald Bradman Second-best Test average at home (minimum 3,000 runs) Joint-most Test tons among active cricketers Smith scripted this unique feat in the SCG Test Smith loves facing the English bowlers Thousand-plus runs in four consecutive years Top-scorer in the last three Ashes editions
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Average
Second-highest batting average after Donald Bradman
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Smith is arguable the greatest Test batsman in the modern era.
His Bradmanesque numbers define his stature in red-ball cricket.
At the moment, he owns the best average (62.07) in Test cricket among the active cricketers minimum (20 Tests).
In fact, he has the second-highest Test average only after the great Donald Bradman (99.94) on the all-time list.
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Home
Second-best Test average at home (minimum 3,000 runs)
![Second-best Test average at home (minimum 3,000 runs)]( "Second-best Test average at home (minimum 3,000 runs)")
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Even Smith's numbers at home are second to none in modern-day cricket.
So far, he has racked up 3,566 runs from 37 Tests, including 14 tons in home conditions.
Yet again, his average of 68.57 at home is the second-best after Bradman (98.22), among players with a minimum 3,000 Test runs.
Notably, Smith is followed by Indian captain Virat Kohli (68.42) in the list.
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Tons
Joint-most Test tons among active cricketers
![Joint-most Test tons among active cricketers]( "Joint-most Test tons among active cricketers")
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As mentioned, Smith slammed his 27th ton in the ongoing SCG Test.
He equaled legends Graeme Smith, Virat Kohli and Allan Border on the elite list.
He is also the second-fastest to 27 centuries (136 innings).
Smith now has the joint-most hundreds in Test cricket among active players along with Kohli.
Overall, he has the joint-sixth-most tons (with Border) by an Australian.
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Information
Smith scripted this unique feat in the SCG Test
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With a fifty in the second innings (81), Smith now owns a century and half-century in a Test most times (10) in Test cricket. He surpassed the tally of the great Jacques Kallis (9). Former England captain Alastair Cook has achieved the feat eight times.
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England
Smith loves facing the English bowlers
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So far, Smith has amassed 2,800 runs from 27 Tests at 65.11 against England.
He owns the second-most tons (11) against them after Bradman (19).
In last year's Ashes, Smith became the first-ever Test batsman to score ten consecutive 50+ scores against a single opponent (England).
His scores during the period (2017-2019) read: 239, 76, 102*, 83, 144, 142, 92, 211, 82 and 80.
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Do you know?
Thousand-plus runs in four consecutive years
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In 2017, Smith became only the second batsman to score over 1,000 Test runs for four successive years (2014-2017). He achieved the 1,000 run-mark with an average of over 50 in each of these years, becoming the first player do so.
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Ashes
Top-scorer in the last three Ashes editions
![Top-scorer in the last three Ashes editions]( "Top-scorer in the last three Ashes editions")
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Smith has been unstoppable in the Ashes ever since he registered his maiden ton (2013 Oval Test).
He tallied a mammoth 774 runs in the 2019 edition, equaling the long-standing feat of Little Master Sunil Gavaskar (774 vs WI, 1970/71).
Interestingly, he owns a unique feat of smashing over 500 runs in three consecutive Ashes series (2015: 508, 2017: 687 and 2019: 774).
