Steve Smith continued his summer to remember at the SCG on Friday as he bettered Sir Donald Bradman to become the leading runscorer in a Test series against India.
In a sublime summer for the stand-in Australian skipper, Smith struck 71 off 70 balls to take his series tally to 769.
It eclipsed Bradman’s mark of 715 set in 1947-48.
A cut shot for four off Umesh Yadav shortly after tea on the fourth day of the fourth Test pushed Smith past Bradman’s record and his eye catching innings helped set the stage for Australia to complete a 3-0 series win.
Smith’s feats have been truly Bradmanesque this summer.
He began with 162no and 52no at the first Test in Adelaide, struck 133 and 28 in the second Test in Brisbane and followed that up with 192 and 14 at the MCG before his 117 in the first innings in Sydney.
Smith then topscored in Australia’s tally of 6-241.
Chris Rogers chipped in with 56 and Joe Burns made it back-to-back fifties in his second Test with 66 off just 39 balls.
Burns said batting with Smith had been a good lesson for him.
“I am a massive fan of Steve,” Burns said.
“To lead from the front the way he has and to do it in all sorts of situations, it is great just to sit in the changerooms and watch and when I get the opportunity to bat with him I certainly do learn a lot off him with his plans and his mindset.
“I try and take that into my batting.
“There aren’t too many better batters in the world at the moment.
“It is great to watch.”
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