Perth double-ton helps Steve Smith attain joint second highest Test batting ratings ever

Don Bradman leads the chart with a staggering tally of 961 rating points.

Smith averages 62.32 in Test cricket | Getty

Australia skipper Steve Smith has been doing wonders in the longest format of the game for some time now, but in the ongoing Ashes series the 28-year-old has taken his game to a different level. Smith has 426 runs against his name in the four innings of this Ashes series thus far, including two centuries and as many Man of the Match awards.

In the opening Ashes Test at Gabba, Smith played a match-defining knock of 141* which helped the hosts registered a comprehensive 10-wicket victory over England. The Australian captain then displayed his remarkable batting prowess in the third Test at Perth, where he recorded his second double ton in the 5-day game.

Smith’s marathon knock of 239 in WACA also saw him attain the joint second highest Test batting ratings ever. With 945 rating points to his name, Smith is currently placed at the second spot alongside England’s Len Hutton in the all-time list. Only the legendary Australian batsman Sir Donald Bradman is ahead of Smith with a staggering tally of 961 rating points.

Smith had aggregated 941 points after the first Test in Brisbane. However, it dropped to 938 after a couple of low scores in Adelaide. Notably, the current Aussie skipper has gained seven points after his performance in Perth to surpass the likes of Peter May, Ricky Ponting and Jack Hobbs. In the past 12 months, he has had a minimum of 918 rating points, which is 25 more than the current second-ranked Test batsman Virat Kohli.

Moreover, the New South Wales born Smith is the only batsman in contemporary cricket to average over 60 in Test cricket. His batting average of 62.32 is second only to Bradman in terms of batsmen with at least 20 Test innings. As far as Smith’s overall Test numbers are concerned – the Australian captain has amassed 5796 Test runs in 59 matches, including 22 tons and 21 fifties. 

Top 5 best ever batting rating in Test cricket:

Sir Donald Bradman – 961

Steve Smith/Len Hutton – 945

Ricky Ponting/Sir Jack Hobbs – 942

Peter May – 941

Viv Richards/Garry Sobers/Clyde Walcott/ Kumar Sangakkara – 938

 

 
 

By Salman Anjum - 19 Dec, 2017

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