Smith's Prime

In this article we take a look at one of Smith's most impressive streaks. A year with 1000 runs and an average of 70 is the criteria.

There has been 160 instances of Batsman scoring 1000+ test runs in a calendar year.

But only in 42 instances has that Batsman scored those 1000 test runs at an average of more than 70.

30 different batsman have scored 1000+ test runs in a year at a 70+ average.

Only 6 players have done it on multiple occasions. And it's as follows.

Jacques Kallis- 5 (2001, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2010)

Steve Smith- 4 (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017)

Ricky Ponting- 3 (2002, 2003, 2006)

Mathew Hayden- 2 (2002, 2003)

Hashim Amla- 2 (2010, 2012)

Virat Kohli- 2 (2016, 2017)

Smith ended 2019 with 965 runs at an average of 74.23. Had he made 35 more runs, then he would have joined Kallis as the only bastman ever to have hit 1000+ runs at a average of 70+ in 5 years.

Also he's unlikely to add on to this total this year because Australia play just 4 Test Matches( 1 vs Afganistan and 3 vs India) this year.

Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara both have one year where they have scored 1000+ runs at a average of 70+. But Smith has done that consecutively in 4 years and just fell short on doing it for the 5th time.  And what's even more impressive is that he played and hit a 100 in Australia, South Africa, UAE, West Indies, England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh in that 4 year span.

I'm sure he's going to keep adding on to this total.