Steve Smith overtakes Don Bradman: Now behind only Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar as Aussie rewrites Ashes history at SCG | Cricket News
NEW DELHI: Steven Smith etched his name deeper into cricket’s record books on Tuesday, surpassing the legendary Don Bradman to become the highest run-scorer against England. The Aussie batter is now behind only India greats Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli among the top run-scorers against a single opponent, as he produced another masterclass on Day 3 of the fifth and final Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Australia’s stand-in captain raised his 37th Test hundred, reaching the landmark with a deft three to fine leg, and in the process took his aggregate runs against England to 5085, moving past Bradman’s 5028 against the same opponents. Only Tendulkar (6707 vs Australia) and Kohli (5551 vs Australia) now sit above Smith on the all-time list of most international runs against a single opposition.
The century was Smith’s 13th in the Ashes, placing him second only to Bradman’s 19, and further underlining his dominance in cricket’s oldest rivalry. At the SCG, Smith now has 1225 runs at an average of 72.05, with five centuries — numbers bettered only by former skipper Ricky Ponting.
Most runs vs an opponent in international cricket
- 6707 – Sachin Tendulkar vs Australia
- 5551 – Virat Kohli vs Australia
- 5108 – Sachin Tendulkar vs Sri Lanka
- 5085* – Steven Smith vs England
- 5028 – Don Bradman vs England
Smith’s knock lifted Australia into a commanding position after Travis Head had laid the platform with a blistering 163. The right-hander, batting on 129 at stumps, guided Australia beyond a 100-run lead and strengthened their grip on the match and the series. With this effort, he also moved past Rahul Dravid to climb to seventh on the all-time Test hundreds list, now just one century shy of Kumar Sangakkara.Most Ashes hundreds
- 19 – Don Bradman
- 13 – Steven Smith
- 12 – Jack Hobbs
- 10 – Steve Waugh
- 9 – Wally Hammond
- 9 – David Gower
Speaking after stumps, Smith said the SCG wicket suited his game and praised Head for his impact at the top. Comfortable on his home deck and backed by a raucous crowd, Smith once again proved why, when it comes to England, he now stands atop the ladder in the history books.Most Test hundreds
- 51 – Sachin Tendulkar
- 45 – Jacques Kallis
- 41 – Ricky Ponting
- 41 – Joe Root
- 38 – Kumar Sangakkara
- 37 – Steven Smith
- 36 – Rahul Dravid
