Smith breaks 50-year world record in epic knock
Steve Smith has broken a long-standing world record during his incredible double century on day three at the WACA.
The Australian captain has officially staked his claim as the best batsman since Bradman with his highest Test score against an England attack left with no answers to Smith's brilliance.
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Smith's unbeaten 229 in the third Test lifts his average to 62.89 - only the peerless Sir Donald Bradman has a higher average, 99.94.
And when Smith reached 208 late on Saturday evening, he took his career run total to 5,764, passing the previous world record for most runs scored after 108 Test innings, held by West Indian Sir Garfield Sobers since 1968.
The triple-figure score also makes Smith the third-fastest player in Test cricket history to notch 22 centuries, only behind Bradman (58 innings) and Sunil Gavaskar (101 innings) with his feat in 108 innings.
He is also just the second player in history to score more than 1000 runs in a calendar year on four consecutive occasions, joining compatriot Matthew Hayden, who did it five-straight times from 2001 to 2005.
Just two batsmen - Bradman and West Indian legend George Headley - have a higher percentage of centuries per Test innings.
Bradman scored a ton in 36.25 per cent of his innings with Headley (25 per cent) and Smith (20.37 per cent) the next best.
Smith batted the entire third day of play at the WACA - and he battered England into submission.
He resumed on 92 not out after telling his teammates on Friday night "I was just getting started".
Smith put on an unbroken 301-partnership with Mitchell Marsh, who made the most of his recall with 181 not out - his maiden Test century.
"He has certainly got an aura," Marsh said of Smith.
"I have probably felt what it's like because I captained against him against New South Wales a couple of months ago - and it's not very nice.
"You come up with all these plans and none of them seem to work.
"He is a special player for Australia, a great captain, leads by example."
STEVE SMITH'S TEST CAREER BY THE NUMBERS
(Statistics when Smith is 229no against England in the third Test)
Overall - Matches: 59. Hundreds: 22: Fifties: 21. Average 62.89
As captain - Matches: 29. Hundreds: 13. Fifties: 11. Average 75.48
In Australia - Matches: 27. Hundreds: 11. Fifties: 9. Average: 76.18
Only Sir Donald Bradman (99.94) has a higher career average
Smith's average in 2017 is 74.46, following 71.93 in 2016; 73.70 in 2015 and 81.85 in 2014
Smith has scored 1000 runs in four consecutive calendar years, the second batsman to achieve the feat. Australia's Matthew Hayden scored 1000 or more runs in five consecutive years from 2001
Only two batsmen, Bradman and West Indian George Headley, have a higher percentage of centuries per innings. Bradman scored a ton in 36.25 per cent of his innings followed by Headley (25 per cent) and Smith (20.37 per cent)
Only eight Australians have scored more centuries (Ricky Ponting tops the list with 41).
with AAP