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Steve Smith has gone past Don Bradman's mark of 6996 Test runs and broken a 73-year record in the process.

Steve Smith has again added his name to the record books by becoming the fastest batsman to reach 7000 Test runs and breaking a 73-year mark in the process.

Smith reached the 7000-run milestone on Saturday afternoon in Adelaide with his 23rd run against Pakistan as Australia raced to a massive first-innings total.

It formed part of his score of 36 before he was caught behind for 36 while trying to swipe hard across the line at a delivery from Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Smith has taken just 126 innings to reach the mark, getting there in five faster than Englishman Walter Hammond who has held the record since 1946.

Smith's innings also took him past Don Bradman's career-mark of 6996 runs, lifting him to the 11th most prolific scorer in Australian Test history.

Bradman, meanwhile, had just 70 innings for 29 centuries in a career when World War II forced a break while he was still in his prime.

Still, it hasn't stopped the comparisons between the pair, with former Australian captain Allan Border leading the charge earlier in November.

"In straight out numbers (he's the best since Bradman)," he told AAP at the start of the summer.

"He has just been incredible. Not just in the Ashes but his whole career has been incredible.

"From what I understand, Bradman's technique wasn't one you would coach a kid.

"He just had a special way of doing things. And Smith is exactly the same. It's not the technique you would want to coach kids."

Bradman and Smith have the two highest averages in Test history for those who have played more than 20 innings, with Smith's 64.22 second to Bradman's 99.94.

FASTEST TO 7000 TEST RUNS

* Steve Smith - 126 innings

* Walter Hammond - 131

* Virender Sehwag - 134

* Sachin Tendulkar - 136

* Garfield Sobers - 138

* Kumar Sangakkara - 138

* Virat Kholi - 138