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Australia's most prolific Test batter Steve Smith with a blistering double century, tumbled a flurry of records on Day 2 of the first Test against West Indies on Thursday (December 1).
After Marnus Labuschagne's 204 off 350, Smith went on to smash 200 off 311 runs which was loaded with 16 boundaries as Australia declared their innings after posting a colossal total of 598/4. Riding on a blistering knock, Smith now has as many hundreds as Australian great Don Bradman by dint of the 29th Test hundred he struck against the West Indies at Perth.
Smith took 155 innings to bring up his 29th Test century while Don Bradman took the least innings (79) to achieve this rare feat. India's batting legend Sachin Tendulkar is second on the list as he took mere 148 innings to complete his 29th Test century.
Least Innings taken for 29 Test Centuries
79 - Don Bradman
148 - Sachin Tendulkar
155 - Steve Smith*
166 - Sunil Gavaskar
166 - Mathhew Hayden
Not just this, Australia's ace Test batter also leapfrogged the batting juggernauts Virat Kohli and Joe Root in terms of cracking most Test centuries.
While India's star batter Virat Kohli has 27 Test tons against his name, England's Joe Root has belted 28 Test centuries so far.
Smith goes level with Williamson, Gavaskar
Smith went ahead and smashed a blistering double hundred and has now equalled a unique record accomplished by Kane Williamson and Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar. Sunil Gavaskar and Kane Williamson, both have 4 international Test double-hundreds to their name and now Steven Smith too has joined them on this list. As of now, Smith has 8361 Test runs to his name. To this date, Smith has played 88 Test matches and has batted in 155 innings. Certainly, Smith is not that brilliant if the ODI and T20I formats are taken into consideration, but in the Test format, he is nothing but invincible. The former Australia captain is one double century short of Joe Root's record. Root has 5 Test double tons to his name and looking at how the Windies' attack has been, Smith may equal Root's record.
As of now, Australia's Sir Donald Bradman tops the list with 12 Test double-hundreds to his name and Smith certainly has a long way to go. Steve made his Test debut in the year 2010 against Pakistan in Lord's and had started as a leggie, but as of now, he has evolved into one of the greatest Test batsman to have ever played the game.
With his technical changes eradicating his step back and across on the crease, Smith joined in a 251-run stand with Marnus Labuschagne (204) and a 196-run partnership with Travis Head (99).
But for all the runs on offer for Australia's batsmen, it will be sight of a free-flowing and faultless Smith in his fourth career double-century that will delight the team's followers most.
After resuming on Thursday morning 59no, Smith made his intentions clear when he cut Kemar Roach for two on the first ball of the day and later clipped him off his toes for an all-run four.
He later guided Alzarri Joseph to the third-man boundary after late-cutting him through the slips and gully, before bringing up his 100 when he pushed Roston Chase down to long on.
Then the former captain made a point to go big.
