Allan Border says Steve Smith ‘in the discussion’ as best Australian batsman he has seen as 10,000-run milestone awaits

Allan Border says Steve Smith is “in the discussion’’ with Ricky Ponting as the greatest Australian batsman he has seen as he sits just 38 runs away from a special Test milestone.

Allan Border has lauded Steve Smith for having the courage to be himself as he prepares to become a Test match legend before his home crowd this week.

Test great Border says Smith is “in the discussion’’ with Ricky Ponting as the greatest Australian batsman he has seen as he sits just 38 runs away from being the fourth Australian to post 10,000 runs in Tests entering Friday’s fifth match of the India series.

Fourteen men from all nations have passed the cherished milestone and just Ponting (13,378), Border (11,174) and Steve Waugh (10,927) from Australia.

Ponting broke through the mark while overseas in 2008 against the West Indies.

Steve Smith is just 38 runs away from being the fourth Australian to post 10,000 runs in Tests. Picture: AFP

Incredibly Smith, who has played on 42 Test grounds, has the chance to do so at his beloved SCG in what would recreate the iconic moment of skipper Waugh 21 years ago when he became just the third man in history into the 10,000 club when he reached 69 in the fifth Ashes Test on January 3, 2003.

The 10,000 club is seen as an unequivocal badge of greatness.

“He will be chuffed to get this chance,’’ said Border, who reached his 10,000-run milestone at the SCG and later passed the man who he shares the name of the India versus Australia trophy with – Sunil Gavaskar – on the all-time Test scoring list in New Zealand.

“I am really pleased for him. There will be a good crowd in. Not like (Christchurch’s) Lancaster Park where I did it (passed Gavaskar) and there was about 50 people in.’’

Border rates Smith in the top two Australian batsmen he has seen.

“He is right up there. If he is not one he is two. I probably still rate Ricky Ponting number one but it is a discussion now with Smith and maybe they just pip Greg Chappell who was a great player.

Steve Smith is up there with the best batters Australia has produced.

“Greg was known for his elegance but there was a toughness with him as well. Steve Waugh comes into this category. He took a bit longer to get going but finished with a huge flourish. His last 50 Tests were better than his first 50.

“I was also a huge fan of Matt Hayden because he opened the batting and had to face fresh bowlers with a new ball every time he batted. And he averaged 50.’’

Border said among the things he admired most about Smith was the fact he had the courage to back his homespun technique.

“He has worked out its method and it works for him. It is a unique technique. It is not something you teach kids or say ‘this is how you bat’. But you can still learn the basics off him is that for all his movements, when the ball is let go he is pretty still.

Allan Border was the first Australia batsman to reach 10.000 runs in Tests. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

“His eyes are level. He does a lot of moving before the ball is bowled. He just has that fidgety nature. Players have different styles.

“Steve has trouble sleeping. Mark Waugh was the opposite. He would fall asleep waiting to bat and you would give him a nudge and say ‘mate, you’re in’. Different blokes. Different strokes.

“Ten thousand runs is a pretty elite group. It means you have played a lot of games which means you have been consistent which is what most of us try and be. I would have liked to have played like Brian Lara. But I couldn’t. I had to play like me.’’