It kind of does. Even knowing he has a home inflation, it is pretty hard to ignore 60 plus average over nearly 100 tests. Even in the 2000s flat bat era, guys werent doing that, except for Ponting briefly.
But that's what's really pushing his average up above 60 though (again, please don't make me use the caveat of where I think he sits as a player).
To give you an example, noted home track bully Jaya only average a shade under 60 at home. Sanga average just a shade above 60 at home. Still a big difference from 64.
Sanga came close to the 60 mark (58.94 in his 122nd test) and I believe Ponting did actually cross it (by having a 10+ difference in average at home) at one point.
My basic point is that too much is made of the 60+ average. On top of that, I do think Smith has a way to go - he's not yet at 100 tests. These guys played 130, 140, 150 etc tests - obviously with Sachin playing an insane 200+.
I know he's far better than Kohli, but you only have to point to players like him, or even Ponting, Sachin etc to see how your average can collapse pretty hard very, very quickly the more tests you play.
I don't know what the arbitrary point would be for me to rate him the CLEAR second best bat - I don't think there is one (unless he goes up another gear from here). If he were to retire here, or with ~100-120 tests with an average close to or just above 60 (but not 62+ or something), I'd consider him in that same level as the ones I mentioned earlier, but given the difference in tests (at this point in time Sachin has played 2x the tests Smith has) that would still be difficult to rate him as the clear 2nd best.
As I said, if he goes up a gear from here if he has that in him, then yea he's the clear second best.
It is obvious he's a very unique player in many ways though - he does seem to combine the monstrous series Lara had with the consistency of Sachin.
