Steve Smith the best of his generation? Ricky Ponting says it's hard to argue against it

Ricky Ponting feels it is hard to argue against the fact that Steve Smith is the best batter of his generation ahead of the likes of Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson and Joe Root. Smith scored another hundred against Sri Lanka on Thursday, January 29.

In Short

• Smith completed 10,000 runs on Wednesday
• Ponting feels Smith's numbers show that he is the best batter of his generation
• Smith scored his 35th Test hundred against Sri Lanka

Ricky Ponting feels it is hard to argue that Steve Smith is the best batter of his generation, ahead of the likes of Virat Kohli, Joe Root and Kane Williamson. After a dip in form, Smith hit a purple patch during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy as he hit 2 hundreds against India. He continued his fine run against Sri Lanka in Galle on Wednesday, January 29.

Smith reached the 10,000 run-mark and scored his 35th hundred on Day 1 of the first Test against Sri Lanka as Australia ended the day on 330 for 2. Smith remained unbeaten on 104 runs for his side and will be aiming to help his side get to a big total in the first innings. Ponting felt that the Aussie batter has the numbers to show that he is clearly the best of the generation.

"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.

"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," said Smith.

Smith's crosses many milestones with hundred

The Aussie batter became the fifth-fastest batter to get to 10,000, having reached the feat in 205 innings, behind the likes of Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, Kumar Sangakkara and Ponting. Smith also moved to the 7th spot in the all-time list for the most hundreds in Tests with his knock on Wednesday.