A stocktake of Smith’s superiority as besting Bradman beckons

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Steve Smith has drawn level with Bradman in the ‘test centuries’ column – but how much further can he climb?

Steve Smith has registered his 29th test hundred, drawing level with cricket’s undisputed GOAT, Sir Donald Bradman.

Marking a return to form on Aussie soil and an ominous start to the home test Summer, Smith’s ton also sees him move into equal fourth on the list of Australia’s test centurions, behind only Ricky Ponting, Steve Waugh and Matthew Hayden.

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By the numbers, Smith’s 29 test centuries is a remarkable feat in itself, but compared to his counterparts on the list, the feat is magnified.

While Bradman’s 29 tons came in just 80 innings, Smith has achieved the feat in his 155th, which is still well clear of his surrounding company.

Ponting hit 41 centuries across 287 innings, while Waugh hit 32 in 260. Hayden reached triple figures 30 times in tests, from 184 innings.

The tag of ‘best since Bradman’ is something that’s been bestowed upon Smith for many years now.

But despite a run of form that saw him go 546 days between test tons, and until this century against the West Indies, 692 days between hundreds at home, Smith is certainly living up to the title.

The numbers he’s produced in his test career, which is substantially smaller than the three that sit above him on the list, are nothing short of incredible, given the discrepancy in how quickly he’s been able to achieve them.

With five tests left this summer, and headline tours to India and England looming large in 2023, Hayden’s 30 and Waugh’s 32 tons look likely to be chased down.

But what about Ponting’s 41 – could Smith chase it down and become Australia’s most prolific test batter?

At 33, he’s certainly closer to the end of his career than he is to its beginning, but there are still a few factors to consider when estimating how long he has left in the Baggy Green.

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Corniness aside, Smith’s love for the game and thirst for runs are two factors that genuinely hold him in good stead to continue his test career until late into his thirties.

The technical change Smith has recently adopted and has dominated discussion so far this Summer, is one prime example of his willingness to improve and find new ways to maintain his run-scoring proficiency.

These kinds of constant tweaks and changes allow him to maintain his levels of output as bowlers find ways to curb his scoring, such as Neil Wagner adopting a short-pitched bowling strategy to Smith during the 2019-20 Summer.

Perhaps then, the main concern is his age – for how much longer could Smith feasibly continue to play?

Ponting himself played his final test at age 37, while Waugh did so at 38.

This benchmark would give Smith another four to five years of Test cricket, which based on his current level of output, is ample time to catch Ponting in the list.

But regardless, the statistics don’t lie – Ponting, Waugh, Hayden, Bradman, and now Smith – we’re among greatness.

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