Australia’s star batter Steve Smith reached a historic milestone by surpassing 10,000 Test runs during the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle on January 29. At 35, Smith has become the second-fastest Australian to achieve this feat, joining an elite club that includes legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, and Brian Lara.
Smith’s Historic Achievement
Smith is now the 15th player in cricket history to cross the 10,000-run mark in Tests. He accomplished the milestone in 115 Tests and 205 innings. His journey in Test cricket began in 2010 against Pakistan at Lord’s. Where he managed only 13 runs across both innings. Despite a challenging start, he has since evolved into one of Australia’s greatest red-ball batters.
With 34 Test centuries, Smith now holds the second-most Test hundreds for an Australian, trailing only Ricky Ponting’s 41 centuries.
Fastest Players to Reach 10,000 Test Runs
195 innings – Brian Lara
195 innings – Sachin Tendulkar
195 innings – Kumar Sangakkara
196 innings – Ricky Ponting
205 innings – Steve Smith
Smith’s Thoughts on the Milestone
Speaking ahead of the Sri Lanka Test, Smith reflected on the achievement “I probably thought about that a little bit too much in Sydney a few weeks back. “I’ve never really been one for milestones; however, to finally tick off 10,000 with those guys would be pretty special.”
Steve Smith Leads Australia in Sri Lanka
With Pat Cummins on paternity leave, Smith is leading Australia in the Sri Lanka series. The Aussies aim for a dominant victory before shifting focus to the World Test Championship Final against South Africa.
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