After 461 minutes at the wicket, Steve Smith has registered his second double hundred in Tests during the 3rd Ashes Test at Perth. By getting to his 22nd Test century, he became the third fastest to the number pipping former Indian star cricketer Sachin Tendulkar to the record, only Bradman and Sunil Gavaskar are ahead of him in this race. Smith took just 108 innings to 22 Test centuries and went past India’s legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar who achieved this feat in 114 innings.
Here are the top four players in the list of fastest to 22 Test centuries –
Player name (No. of innings)
Don Bradman 58
Sunil Gavaskar 101
Steven Smith 108
Sachin Tendulkar 114
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Smith also helped Mitchell Marsh reach his maiden ton in front of his home crowd at Perth. Both the centurions have driven Australia to a position of strength in the 3rd Test. As we speak, Australia has taken a lead by 104 runs with 6 wickets remaining in the 1st innings.
5,764 was the previous record of the most Test runs scored after 108 innings, held by West Indies legend Sir Garfield Sobers since 1968. When Smith reached 208 in the final session he passed that mark.
Steve Smith is good at cricket.#ohwhatafeeling @Toyota_Aus pic.twitter.com/xDc35HqBf9
— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) December 16, 2017
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Here is how the world praised the Australian captain after his brilliant knock.
Steve Smith’s 200 off 301 balls is the quickest Ashes double-century for Australia in almost 80 years (i.e since 257-ball 200 by Stan McCabe in Nottingham 1938). #Ashes
— Mazher Arshad (@MazherArshad) December 16, 2017
Another record for Steve Smith. No player in the history of Test cricket has scored more runs after 108 innings. He’s ahead of Sir Garfield Sobers now with nobody ahead of him. #Ashes
— Samuel Ferris (@samuelfez) December 16, 2017
Astonishing to think as prolific and brilliant Steve Smith is now, Don Bradman averaged 40 better. That’s otherworldly. #Ashes2017
— Antfarmer (@antfarmer) December 16, 2017
What I also find surreal is that we are all in absolute awe of Steve Smith, and yet he doesn’t even get to shine the shoes of Don Bradman.
— Jolly Old Saint Nick (@Chandler_BANG) December 16, 2017
Days between 21st & 22nd Test _
21 – Steve Smith
3051 – Don Bradman#Ashes
— Joshua Kay (@js_kay) December 16, 2017
STEVE SMITH.. DON BRADMAN OF THIS ERA
BESTEST EVER #ASHES
— AAYAN (@its__aayan) December 16, 2017
Steve Smith is the Don Bradman of the 21st century
— Victor Yong (@BigVic_AFL) December 16, 2017
Ashes! https://t.co/lH7uENDAeJ The Ashes 2017-18: Why Steve Smith really is the best since Don Bradman The incredible Australian captain took less than 20 minutes at the WACA Ground on Saturday to peel off the eight runs required for his 22nd Test century, and etch his name int_
— Charles Litster (@ChasLitster) December 16, 2017
In the 140-year history of Test cricket, of the 44 players who have made 20 or more centuries, Steve Smith’s ratio of one every 2.7 Tests is bettered by only one man … Don Bradman at 1.8 #Ashes
— Glenn Mitchell (@MitchellGlenn) December 16, 2017
Lot of comparisons between Don Bradman and Steve Smith. Here is one more with min. 2000 runs. Bradman averaged 99.94. Next highest during his playing span were G Headley 65.78 and D Compton 63.84. Smith averaging 62.20. Next highest are K Sangakkara 61.40 and S Chanderpaul 59.14.
— Mazher Arshad (@MazherArshad) December 16, 2017
Fewest inns to reach 22nd Test 100..
58 – Don Bradman
101 – Sunil Gavaskar
108 – Steve Smith
114 – Sachin Tendulkar#AusvEng#Ashes— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) December 16, 2017
Smith is also being compared with Virat Kohli in cricketing circles. It is the debate of who is the best at this point of time — Virat or Smith?
