5 fastest batters to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket by innings: Steve Smith enters the list by surpassing Rahul Dravid

Steve Smith on January 29 became the second-fastest Australian batter to reach 10,000 Test runs (in terms of innings taken). Smith needed just one run to achieve the massive feat. Here's a look at top five fastest batters to 10,000 runs in Test cricket  -
 

1. West Indies' Brian Lara, India's Sachin Tendulkar and Sri Lanka's Kumara Sangakkara took 195 innings each to complete 10,000 Test runs. Among these three legendary batters, Lara was the first to achieve the feat in 2004 followed by Tendulkar (2005) and Sangakkara (2012).
 

2. Australia's Ricky Ponting in 2008 completed 10,000 Test runs from 196 innings. The former Australian captain took 12 years and 174 days since his debut to reach the milestone.
 

3. Australia's Steve Smith took 205 innings to complete 10,000 Test runs. He is the fourth Australian batter to breach the 10,000-run mark after Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Ponting.
 

4. India's Rahul Dravid reached 10,000 Test runs from 206 innings, one less than Smith. Dravid took 11 years and 280 days to achieve the milestone in 2008. 
 

5. Pakistan's Younis Khan is the next on the list. Younis needed 208 innings to score 10,000 Test runs. He took the second-most time (17 years and 54 days) to enter five digits in the longest format of the game.
 

Overall, 15 batters have scored 10,000 runs in Test cricket. However, the slowest to the feat is former Australian captain Steve Waugh who took 244 innings. In terms of years taken, West Indies' Shivnarine Chanderpaul is the slowest at 18 years and 37 days.