Smith rates among greats
Australian captain set to continue his climb, writes Fox Sports’ Joe Barton
STEVE Smith is one fine innings away from leaping to second spot on the all-time batting rankings behind only the legendary Sir Donald Bradman.
Smith on Tuesday extended his lead atop the ICC’s Test batting rankings following his stunning, unbeaten 141 which proved the difference in Australia’s heavy 10-wicket Gabba Test victory to draw first blood in the Ashes.
Incredibly, champion Australian batsman and national selector Greg Chappell predicted Smith had his best cricket ahead of him – despite already “leaving everyone for dead”.
The innings earned Smith five rankings points and lifted him to 941 points, 53 clear of his nearest rival.
India’s Che Pujara leapfrogged Joe Root into second place after the England captain’s sluggish performance at the Gabba where he scored 15 and 51.
It is the second time Smith has reached 941 rankings points, having done so earlier this year during Australia’s tour of India.
His tally is the fifth-highest in history, bettered only by the incomparable Bradman (961), English duo Len Hutton (945) and Jack Hobbs (942) and Australia’s Ricky Ponting (942).
Incredibly, another strong performance in the day-night Test at Adelaide Oval starting Saturday could lift Smith above Ponting, Hutton and Hobbs, leaving only Bradman ahead of him in the history books.
And few would back against Smith to deliver another century after watching his chanceless innings in Brisbane, where he defied England’s “modern-era Bodyline’’ tactics to dig Australia out of a serious hole in the first innings.
Chappell, considered by many to be Australia’s finest batsman outside of Bradman, was blown away by Smith’s performances.
After 57 Tests, Smith averages an extraordinary 61.23 with 21 Test centuries.
By comparison, at the same point in their careers, Chappell himself averaged 53 while Ponting, Australia’s leading Test run scorer and a genuine colossus of the modern game, averaged 46.
“He’s a very, very good player and he’s playing exceptionally well at the moment,” Chappell told SEN. “His self-management is exceptional, the way he dealt with the plans England showed at him the other day just showed great maturity and great skill.
“Who knows where he could finish up? You would expect him to get better from here.
“At 28 years of age he’s just coming into his prime. It’ll be very interesting to see where he does get to because he’s leaving everyone for dead.”
Ponting this week admitted his Australian Test record of 41 centuries was in danger with Smith looming large, and made the extraordinary call that Smith could finish as the game’s greatest ever batsman.
“Hopefully (my record of 41 centuries is) in danger, I’d love to see that,” the former Australian captain told cricket.com.au.
“If he keeps going like he is, he’s going to catch me in four or five years. It’s well and truly in danger.
“What we’re seeing is potentially one of, if not the best batsman that the game has ever seen.”
Comparing eras is tricky, which is what makes the ICC’s historical ranking system so interesting.
The ratings are based on a complex statistical breakdown which factors in not just the runs scored but also the quality of an attack, the level of run-scoring in each match (centuries in low-scoring matches are viewed more favourably than run feasts on absolute roads) and even whether they were match-winning knocks.
The highest rating a player can receive is 1000, meaning Bradman’s 961 remains streets ahead of anyone else.
“All you can do is judge somebody on their performance in their era and Steve is going to be the best or one of the very best of his era,” Chappell said.
❝ seeing What we’re is potentially one of, if not the best batsmen the game has ever seen. — Ricky Ponting