Melbourne, Dec 27: Steve Smith etched his name deeper into Ashes history on Friday, overtaking Allan Border to become Australia’s second-highest run-scorer against England in Test cricket.
The landmark came during the fourth Ashes Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where Smith, despite modest returns with the bat, crossed the coveted mark to move ahead of one of Australian cricket’s most revered figures.
With his unbeaten 24 in the second innings, Smith took his tally against England to 3,553 runs, nudging past Border’s long-standing record of 3,548 runs.
The numbers underline Smith’s enduring dominance in the Ashes. Across 40 Tests against England, he has amassed his runs at an impressive average of 55.51, striking 12 centuries and 14 half-centuries, with a career-best of 239 highlighting his exploits. Border, in comparison, achieved his tally over 47 Tests, averaging 56.31 with eight hundreds and 21 fifties.
Smith now sits second only to the incomparable Don Bradman in Australia’s all-time Ashes run charts. Bradman remains in a league of his own, having piled up 5,028 runs in just 37 Tests against England at a staggering average of 89.78.
While the match itself was dominated by bowlers and dramatic collapses, Smith’s quiet climb up the record books served as a reminder of his consistency and longevity at the highest level — and his special relationship with cricket’s oldest rivalry. (Agencies)
