Steve Smith Surpasses Steve Waugh, Becomes Australia's Third-Highest Test Run-Getter

Steve Smith surpasses Steve Waugh's feat [Source: AFP]Steve Smith, arguably one of the finest Test batters in the world, created another record on Friday, surpassing the legendary Steve Waugh to become the third-highest run-scorer in Test cricket. Smith now has 10,945 runs, while Waugh had accumulated 10,927 Test runs.Prior to the first Test against the South African side, Smith needed just 8 runs to go past the former Australian captain, and the batter attained the feat easily to become the third-highest run-getter from his country in red-ball cricket.Most Test runs for Australia as Smith sits at thirdSmith now sits at third place in the highest Test run-getters for Australia, with Ricky Ponting, another former captain, occupying the top spot with 13378 Test runs.Legendary Australian batter Allan Border is placed at second as the southpaw had registered 11174 runs, with an average of 50.56.Waugh has now slipped to fifth, with David Warner, the destructive opening batter, at the 5th position in the elite Australian list.Here are the stats of Australia's top-run gettersRicky Ponting - 13378 runs (average 51.85)Allan Border - 11174 runs (average 50.56)Steve Smith - 10945 runs (average 56.12)Steve Waugh - 10927 runs (average 51.06)David Warner - 8786 runs (average 44.59)ALSO READSteve Smith Adds New Layers To Sandpaper Gate ScandalSmith closes in on 11,000 Test runsSmith has a chance to script another Test history against South Africa as the batter is closing in on a historic Test feat only achieved by two other players from his country.Australia’s number 4 is just 55 runs away from completing 11,000 Test runs for his nation. Only two players are ahead of him in the pecking order: Ponting and Border, the other two players to attain the feat from Australia.With two sessions left on Day 1 of the Australia vs South Africa 1st Test, Smith has a golden opportunity to achieve the feat today itself.Smith's stellar Test career at a glanceHe started out his Test journey as a leg-break bowler and was often compared with the great Shane Warne. However, his career took a 360-degree turn after the 2013 Ashes, as he started to score runs for fun, and became one of the best Test batters in the world.Alongside his 10945 Test runs, the batter has accumulated 37 hundreds and 45 fifties in Tests.Only Ricky Ponting has scored more Test hundreds than him (41), as Smith also has the opportunity to surpass him in that feat.ALSO READRavindra Jadeja Included As Saurashtra Announce Squad For Ranji Trophy 2026/27