Steve Smith completes 8000 Test runs, eclipses greats Sachin, Sangakkara, Sobers en route to another huge batting record

Not only did Steve Smith complete 8000 Test runs, he registered an incredible record while doing so.

The legend of Steve Smith continues to grow with each innings he plays. In the first innings of the third Test between Australia and Pakistan in Lahore, Smith surpassed some greats of the game to hold the record for the most runs after 150 Test innings. With a score of 59, Smith took his tally to 7993 runs. And on Thursday, during the second innings, Smith knocked off seven more to reach 8000 Test runs and became the seventh Australian batter after Ricky Ponting, Allan Border, Steve Waugh, Michael Clarke, Matthew Hayden and Mark Waugh to get there.

Steve Smith has left behind some giants of the game.  (Getty Images)

Not only did Smith join an elusive list, he registered an incredible record while doing so. Smith became the quickest to bring up 8000 Test runs in terms of innings played, surpassing the likes of greats Kumar Sangakkara, Garfield Sobers, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid. Smith climbed Mount 8K in his 151st inning, one quicker than Sangakkara. Former India batting stars Tendulkar and Dravid required 154 and 158 respectively while the great Sobers needed 157.

Smith wasn't the only batter achieving landmarks in the Test. The former Australia captain, who made his Test debut in 2010, was joined by Pakistan's Azhar Ali in the list of records. Coincidentally, Azhar and Smith had made their debuts in the same Test, and here they are 12 years later, completing 7000 and 8000 Test runs respectively. Azhar became the fifth Pakistan batter to get to the landmark after Javed Miandad, Inzamam-Ul-Haq, Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf.

Smith scored 17 off 27 balls before Naseem Shah removed him. However, a fifty from David Warner and Usman Khawaja's century lifted Australia to 227/3 before Pat Cummins signalled the declaration. Chasing 351 to win, Pakistan progressed to 73/0 with Imam-Ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique unbeaten on 42 and 27 respectively. Day 5 promises to be a cracking affair with Australia needing 10 wickets. And if it turns out to be anything like the Karachi Test, cricketing fans will be in for a treat.