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For former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, it is hard to argue against Steve Smith deserving to be considered the finest player of his generation on numbers alone. On the opening day of the first Test between Australia and Sri Lanka, Smith soared to new heights in Test format with a flick of mid-on from spinner Prabath Jayasuriya minutes before lunch. He broke off in a sprint to complete a single and 10,000 Test runs, joining the exclusive ranks featuring Australian elites Ponting, Allan Border and Steve Waugh to complete the feat.
Smith stood and soaked in the applause coming from the Australian contingent that travelled to Galle. He raised the bat to all corners of the ground to celebrate the landmark moment of his illustrious career.
After Smith, a famed member of the 'Fab Four,' added another feat to his name, Ponting feels the flamboyant batter Smith deserves to be considered the best player of his generation.
For Ponting, Smith's numbers put a strong case for him being the best player of his generation ahead of Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson and Joe Root.
"Is he the best player of his generation? It's hard to argue against it. Joe Root is the other one now, and [Kane] Williamson's record is outstanding as well. Joe's last couple of years have elevated him right back up there, I think," Seven commentator Ponting said as quoted from The Sydney Morning Herald.
"Five or six years ago, when this big four emerged, with [Virat] Kohli being one of those as well, Joe was probably down near the bottom part of that because he hadn't made the hundreds the other guys had made, but he's made 19 hundreds in the past four years," he added.
Smith is the fifth-fastest player to script the milestone to his name, achieving the feat in 205 innings, behind only Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, Kumar Sangakkara and Ponting.
While it is common for players to add piles of runs to their tally while batting on home soil, Smith has proved himself to be an all-condition player. Almost half of his runs have come in overseas conditions at an average of 53.
In 57 overseas Tests, Smith has garnered 5,084 runs, an average of 53.51, including 17 centuries and 22 fifties and the best score of 215.
"If you asked an Englishman they'd say Joe Root, if you asked an Aussie they'd say Steve Smith, and if you asked a Kiwi they'd say Kane Williamson. So it's a tough one, but on the numbers themselves it's pretty hard to argue against what he's done," Ponting said.
In the third session, Smith went on to lift his bat to celebrate his 35th Test century. He punched the ball to pick up easy three runs and add another accolade to his name.