Inspirational Steve Smith finishes 2015 as top most run getter in Tests

New Delhi: Australia national skipper Steve Smith ended 2015 at the summit of Test cricket as a batsman. The feat will make him proud even more after Australia beat West Indies in the second Test at the MCG.

Steve Smith has been an inspirational leader and was the best batsman the world witnessed this year. With a successive Test series victory, Smith also found himself finishing 2015 atop the Test runs tally.

Smith scored a defining ton in the first innings at MCG and followed it out with 70* before the Aussies declared. Smith wasn't dismissed at the MCG over two innings and opted not to chase a seventh century of the calendar year. 

Smith finished the year with having scored 1474 runs at an average of 73.7, with 6 centuries and 5 half-centuries.

England's Joe Root and Alastair Cook finished second and third respectively.

Joe Root played an important hand for England against South Africa on the first Test at Kingsmead, Durban. He scored 73, which saw him in second place for the year, with 1385 runs at an average of 60.21.

It is the third time in four years that an Aussie captain has finished the year as the leading Test run scorer. Former skipper Michael Clarke did it in 2012 and 2013. Between then was Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara in 2014.

Smith achieved this feat a week after he was awarded the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy as the ICC's Cricketer of the Year.

For India, Virat Kohli was the highest scorer with 640 runs in nine Tests. He ended on 15th position in the list.