Sydney, May 30: Three Indians, two Australians and a West Indian form the elite Test 10,000-run club. A third Australian Ricky Ponting will soon join the elite group, possibly during the second Test against West Indies in Antigua.

There is little doubt that by the time he calls it a day, Ponting will be rated Australia's best batsman since Don Bradman. The Australian captain boasts a batting average of 58.81, better than other members of the 10,000-run club West Indian Brian Lara, Indians Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar and Rahul Dravid and Australians Allan Border and Steve Waugh.

Curiously, Ponting was blissfully unaware he is on the verge of 10,000 Test runs and can become the fastest Australian to reach the milestone in the second Test at Antigua Friday, reports The Daily Telegraph.

After Ponting smashed the West Indies with a first-innings 158 in the first Test at Sabina Park in Kingston, an Australian team official told him history was in the making.

That knock took Ponting to 9,934 runs, needing another 66 to become only the seventh player in history to reach 10,000 and join compatriots Waugh and Border in the exclusive club.

Ponting, who has never been a statistics nut, got out cheaply for five in the second innings in Jamaica. He now needs 61 for the magic mark. "Lachy (team media manager Lachy Patterson) told me about that after I was dismissed in the first innings the other day," Ponting said.

"All I had on my mind going into the second innings was getting 66. If Lachy hadn't told me, I would have had no idea whatsoever."

10,000 Run Club: Brian Lara, 11,953 at 52.88; Sachin Tendulkar, 11,782 at 55.31; Allan Border, 11,174 at 50.56; Steve Waugh, 10,927 at 51.06; Sunil Gavaskar, 10,122 at 51.12; Rahul Dravid, 10,098 at 54.88.

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