Records tumbling for 'all-time great' Steve Smith

Records are tumbling for subcontinent superhero Steve Smith.

After bringing up 10,000 Test runs during the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle, in-form Smith's unbeaten 120 ensured he overtook Ricky Ponting to become Australia's top Test run-scorer in Asia on day two of the second.

Smith needed 27 runs to pass Ponting's mark of 1889, and hit his landmark 1890th run with a single to long on from spinner Nishan Peiris 15 minutes after lunch.

Ponting's tally came from 48 innings at 41.97, with Smith surpassing the Tasmanian in his 42nd innings at an average of 53.59 at stumps on day two.

Smith has now made 1983 runs in Asia after forging a 239-run stand with Alex Carey (139no) that put Australia 73 runs ahead of their hosts at 3-330.

The day before the Test began, Smith had winced at the thought of another batting milestone.

He had earlier admitted to becoming preoccupied with the 10,000-run mark, which he missed celebrating in the home summer by one run.

Smith almost came up short again of the Asian milestone in Galle, surviving an lbw appeal on the first ball he faced.

On 12, he edged just short of first slip from Prabath Jaysuriya's bowling in the first session, before successfully reviewing when umpire Joel Wilson gave him out lbw four runs short of the record.

Smith continued to make history late in the day, bringing up a seventh century on the subcontinent by hitting through midwicket for four.

"To be able to focus for 250 balls in these conditions, it's another 100 to his CV, and going down as an all-time great," Carey said.

No Australian has made more tons in Asia, with legendary Test captain Allan Border (six) now in second place.

Smith has also made the most Test centuries of any Australian player away from home, his 17 eclipsing Ponting's 16.

En route to his latest ton, the 35-year-old proved you could teach an old dog new tricks, rolling out the reverse sweep to hit spinner Ramesh Mendis for four at one stage.

"It certainly surprised me when he went the reverse sweep without a helmet on. He's got some nice teeth, which aren't cheap," Carey joked.

"That's the quality of the player, he's able to problem solve on the go."

It was the stand-in captain's fourth hundred in his past five matches, and fourth in his last five matches in Sri Lanka.

Smith averages better than 50 in Tests in each of Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan.

On day one, he also passed Ponting for taking the most catches by any non-wicketkeeping Australian (197).