Smith reaches 9,000 runs in Test cricket

South Africa skipper Graeme Smith on Thursday went past the 9,000-run mark in Test cricket as he reached his double century against Pakistan at Dubai on the second day of the second Test of the three match-series in the United Arab Emirates.

After bowling out Pakistan for 99 on the first day, Smith, in company of AB de Villiers took the attack on the opposition to take an imposing lead.

Smith came into the match at the back of 8,800 runs from 111 matches at an average of 48.35, including 26 tons and 37 half-centuries. Ever since making his Test debut in March 2002. Smith has gone to the become South Africa’s second-highest run-getter after Jacques Kallis.

The South African skipper also became the first South African and 12th batsman overall to score five or more double hundreds in Test cricket. His fifth double hundred came in the 195th innings of 112nd Test match. Don Bradman holds the record of making the highest number of double hundreds in Tests. The Australian batsman scored 12 double hundreds in 80 innings of 52 Test matches. West Indian Brian Lare is the second with nine double hundreds in 232 innings of 131 Test matches while Sri Lankan Kumar Sangakkara is third with eighth 200 plus scores in 200 innings of 117 Test matches.

MOST RUNS IN TEST CRICKET:

Batsman           M         I           N.O      Runs    AVG     H.S       100       50         0

Sachin Tendulkar (India)             198       327       33         15837   53.86    248*      51         67         14

Ricky Ponting (Australia)            168       287       29         13378   51.85    257       41         62         17

Rahul Dravid (India)       164       286       32        13288  52.31   270      36        63        8

Jacques Kallis (South Africa)     164       277       40         13140   55.44    224      44        58        15

Brian Lara (West Indies)             131       232      6         11953  52.88   400*     34        48        17

Allan Border (Australia)              156       265      44        11174  50.56   205      27        63        11

Steve Waugh (Australia)             168       260      46        10927  51.06   200      32        50        22

S Chanderpaul (West Indies)      148       251      42        10830  51.81   203*     28        61        14

Mahela Jayawardene (S.L) 138 232 14 10806 49.56 374 31 45 13

Kumar Sangakkara (S.Lanka)      117       200      16        10486  56.98   287      33        42        9

Sunil Gavaskar (India)    125      214       16        10122 51.12    236*     34        45        12

Graeme Smith (South Africa)      112      195      13        9027    49.59   277      27        37        11