Cricket: Records continue for Steve Smith

Steve Smith has just passed 6000 test runs, and only two players ever have done it faster. Photo / AAP

Australian skipper Steve Smith has become the equal-second fastest player in cricket history to bring up 6000 Test runs.

Smith reached the milestone in his 111th innings against England in Sydney on Friday, going level with West Indies great Sir Garfield Sobers on the list when he pulled Mason Crane to fine leg to take his score to 26.

Only Sir Donald Bradman reached the mark quicker, having done so in his 68th innings but in the final year of his illustrious career.

In doing so, Smith also overtook Ricky Ponting as the youngest Australian to reach the mark and the first to do so before age 30.

It came after Australia's captain claimed one of the catches of the summer in the first session to redeem himself in the field and remove Dawid Malan.

While Smith's summer has been nothing short of phenomenal - averaging more than 150 with the bat - he has put down four crucial catches, including giving Malan another life on two occasions.

After dropping the England left-hander on day two in Adelaide, he put down a difficult chance when Malan was on 34 on the opening day at the SCG.

He also put down Alastair Cook twice in Melbourne, with the English batsman going on to make 244 not out.

"He's always filthy with himself when he drops catches," teammate Mitchell Marsh said of his skipper.

"He sets extremely high standards for himself and catches more balls than anybody at training."

Smith finally got his man in the first session on Friday, taking a screamer of a diving one-handed catch at second slip to dismiss Malan for 62.

After Malan, who has been England's most consistent batsman this series with three 50s and a century, nicked Mitchell Starc, an outstretched Smith snatched the ball as he dived sharply to his left.

It left England in a precarious position at 6-251 with the out-of-form Moeen Ali the last of the recognised batsmen.

As part of a sponsorship deal, a mattress company agreed to adopt 20 koalas for every catch Smith took during the Ashes.

Some on social media pointed out on Thursday that his failure to hold onto the four previous chances left 80 koalas without a home.

- AAP