Stats: Five Batsmen Who are fastest to 10,000 International runs

The second innings of the Durban Test match between Australia and South Africa would hold a special place on the record books of Steve Smith. The Australian skipper became the quickest from his country to reach the 10,000 international runs mark.

Smith achieved the phenomenal feat in just 232 outings, to trump the likes of Ponting, Hayden and Steve Waugh. Matthew Hayden held the record earlier with his achievement in 239 innings.

Interestingly, both Virat Kohli and Steve Smith took the same number of outings to achieve the glorious feat. The two-quarters of the modern era Fab Four hold the record of being the fifth quickest to reach the coveted milestone.

Sir Viv Richards from the West Indies still tops the list of the fastest to the 10,000 run marks in cricket. Viv completed the feat in just 206 innings.

Next in the list is prolific run-scorer from South Africa, Hashim Amla, who bagged the milestone in just 217 international innings. Trinidad legend Brian Lara is the third fastest to achieve the landmark. Lara did so in just 220 innings.

Interestingly, the fourth and fifth position is occupied by the three-fourths of the modern era of Fab Four. England Test captain Joe Root holds the record for being the fourth fastest to reach the 10K mark.

The Test captain of the three lions achieved the milestone in just 222 innings. Steve Smith, on the other hand, has been on a record-breaking spree at the moment, clinching Test tons at will.

Smith has five 50+ scores in his last five outings in Test cricket. This also includes a double century at Perth, a century and a half-century at Melbourne. This was following an eighty plus score at Brisbane. Even in the Durban Test, he continued his good form in the first inning with a fifty.

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