Steve Smith Has Got An Insatiable Appetite For Runs Like Sachin Tendulkar, Says Steve Waugh

Heaping lavish praise on Steve Smith, former Australia skipper Steve Waugh said the current Australia skipper’s hunger for runs is similar to Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar and Kangaroo great Ricky Ponting.

Waugh’s comments came after Smith’s sublime 141-run knock helped Australia to register a comprehensive 10-wicket in the Ashes opener in Brisbane. Smith came to the crease when debutant Cameron Bancroft returned to the pavilion cheaply and was soon followed by David Warner, Usman Khawaja and Peter Handscomb. Smith, however, showed why he is the number one ranked Test batsman in the world as he first shared a 99-run stand with Shaun Marsh to steady the ship.

The road ahead, however, only became tougher for the Australia skipper as the hosts lost three quick wickets on day three and were reeling at 209 for 7 in pursuit of England’s first innings total of 302. But just when it looked, England would surge ahead, Smith shared handy partnerships with the lower-order batsman and scored his 21st Test century in only his 57th match. Australia went on to dominate the game from thereon and took the lead in the five-match series.

Impressed with his knock, Waugh said Smith will rewrite the record books.

“He’s almost going to rewrite the history books the way he is playing, 21 centuries in 57 Tests — and he didn’t do so well in his first 10 or so,” Waugh said.

“He’s got an insatiable appetite for runs, a bit like (Sachin) Tendulkar and Ponting,” he added.

Waugh, who is Australia’s third highest run-scorer in Tests, further called Smith “incredible” and lauded his game plan.

“The great players just want to keep scoring runs, they love batting and that’s what he does well. He concentrates well, overcomes plans well and just when you think you’ve got him in a weak moment he’ll find a way out of it,” the legendary batsman added.

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