Steve Smith: Australia's Cricketer for All Season is Now No. 1 in Tests
Steve Smith becomes the first Australian cricketer since Michael Clarke in 2012 to top the ICC rankings for Test batsmen. His Test average of 56.23 is also the second best for an Aussie after playing 20 Tests - behind Sir Don Bradman.
If he is menacing in the shorter format of the game, Steve Smith is brilliantly consistent in Tests - a fact that has propelled him to the top of ICC Test rankings for batsmen. In the second Test against West Indies at Kingston, Smith helped his team register a massive 277-run win after scoring 199 and 54 in the two innings. (Match report | Scorecard)
Scoring runs by the dozen though isn't new for Smith - regardless of the format. He slammed a first innings century in the first Test, in Jamaica, as well. This was his ninth triple-digit score in his last 17 Tests. Little surprise then that the 26-year-old is now the first Aussie ranked No. 1 in Tests after Michael Clarke had last reserved the spot for himself three years ago. If Clarke was a class-act, Smith too has established himself as a versatile champion who flourishes against every opposition and under any condition. (Also read: Australia rout makes West Indies' home Test record a nightmare)
What makes Smith an unparalled asset for Australia though is not just the numbers he racks up with the bat but how it helps the entire team dominate. He averages 70.05 in all Tests that he has helped his side win. Overall, he 2587 runs from 28 matches at an impressive average of 56.23. Interestingly, Sir Don Bradman is the only other Australian to have averaged more after featuring in 20-plus Tests.
The future then is quite bright for the Aussie vice-captain. In the latest rankings released by the International Cricket Council, Smith has 913 points - four ahead of veteran Kumar Sangakkara. The Sri Lankan though is reportedly planning to hang up his boots after the first Test against India, probably at Galle.
That leaves South African AB de Villiers at No. 3 as the nearest competitor - one who is currently five points behind. The remaining players in the top five - Hashim Amla (891 points) and Angelo Mathews (841) - are fairly away from the top-spot. And with the form that Smith is in, the chances of toppling him are anyway slim for international rivals.