Steve Smith can close down the likes of Sachin Tendulkar: Brad Hodge

Melbourne: Former Australia batsman Brad Hodge said current skipper Steve Smith will continue to accumulate runs in Test cricket and could surpass the likes of Sachin Tendulkar.

The 27-year-old Smith notched up his 20th Test century on day one of the fourth and final Test against India in Dharamsala.

"He could do 40 or 50 if he's good enough and I think that he is, if he keeps churning them out like this," Hodge told 'Fox Sports News.

"He's probably going at one (century) in (every) three (Tests) at the moment so if he keeps playing till he's 35; some of us play till we're 42, so time's on his side.

"Forty or 50 is not out of reach, I don't reckon...He's a superstar. I think he'll go on to close down the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting."

Indian batting icon Tendulkar tops the all-time Test hundred list with 51 from 200 games, ahead of South Africa's Jacques Kallis (45 in 166) and Australia's Ponting (41 in 168).

Hodge further said, "To reach 20 Test (hundreds) takes a helluva lot of effort and skill. He's done that and he's probably just going to go on.

"He's got time on his side, he's batting as best as he possibly could. Technically, he's just completely different to what we know.

"He's just leading from the front, it's what a captain of Australia is meant to do."