Islamabad, Jan 29: Steve Smith has once again solidified his legacy as one of the greatest batters in Test cricket, becoming the joint-second fastest player to reach 10,000 Test runs. Achieving the milestone in just 115 matches, he now shares this record with Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara, trailing only Brian Lara, who reached the mark in 111 matches.
Smith’s historic moment arrived on Day 1 of Australia’s opening Test against Sri Lanka in Galle. Walking in at No. 4, he needed just one run to reach the milestone and wasted no time, flicking his very first ball for a single past mid-on. With this feat, he becomes the 15th player overall and the fourth Australian to cross the 10,000-run mark in Test cricket.
Read More: F1 Rookie Finally Passes His Driving Test
The Australian maestro also boasts an exceptional career average of 55.87 at this milestone, ranking him fourth among all-time greats. Among Australian batters, only Ricky Ponting (58.72) has maintained a higher average upon reaching 10,000 runs. Notably, Australian legends Ponting, Allan Border, and Steve Waugh all reached this milestone while serving as captains, a responsibility Smith previously held.
Smith is now the fifth-fastest batter in terms of innings played to reach 10,000 Test runs, achieving the feat in 205 innings. The record for the fastest remains jointly held by Lara, Sangakkara, and Sachin Tendulkar, all of whom did so in just 195 innings.
This latest accomplishment further cements Smith’s place among the game’s elite. With Australia focused on dominating the ongoing series against Sri Lanka and preparing for the World Test Championship Final, his form will be crucial. Given his unwavering consistency and relentless appetite for runs, Smith appears destined to scale even greater heights in the years to come.
