Steve Smith surpasses Allan Border to becomes second-fastest Australian to reach 10,000 Test runs

Arun Rawal

Arun Rawal

UPDATED:

Steve Smith surpasses Allan Border to becomes second-fastest Australian to reach 10,000 Test runs
Australia's captain Steve Smith celebrates after scoring his ten thousandth run during the first day of the first Test against Sri Lanka at the Galle International Cricket Stadium on January 29, 2025.

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Steve Smith reached 10,000 Test runs with a single in first session of Galle Test.

Smith became the second-fastest Australian to score 10,000 Test runs.

Smith surpassed Rahul Dravid on the list of fastest to 10,000 Test runs.

Australia's stand-in captain Steve Smith on January 29 became the 15th batter to complete 10,000 Test runs. Smith became the second-fastest Australian (in terms of innings taken) to reach the remarkable feat in the longest format of the game. He also became the fourth Australian batter after Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting to achieve the milestone.

Smith did it in his 205th innings whereas Ponting took 196. Border took 235 innings whereas Waugh is the slowest as he breached the 10,000 Test runs mark in 244 innings.

Smith is also the joint fifth-fastest to 10,000 Test runs, edging former Indian batter Rahul Dravid by just one innings. The top spot belongs to three batters -- West Indies' Brian Lara, India's Sachin Tendulkar and Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara -- who got to the 10,000 run-mark from 195 innings. They are followed by Ponting who did in 196 innings.

Just a single to reach the milestone

Smith needed just one run to achieve the personal milestone before the first Test of the series against Sri Lanka at Galle International Stadium. He walked out to bat towards the end of the first session after opting to bat first. In the 31st over of the innings, he played the flick shot towards leg side against left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya to take a single. He raised his bat and was applauded by fans, teammates, opposition and support staff.

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Earlier, at the coin toss, Smith said that hopefully he can ticky off 10,000 Test runs. He handed debut cap to Josh Inglis and dropped young Sam Konstas to promote Travis Head as opener.

"Unsure at this stage, looks a little tacky this morning, not too sure how it'll play, we'll wait and see. Josh Inglis gets his opportunity, he's been banging the door down in Shield cricket. We've got three spinners, Starc as the pacer and Head will open. We have to adapt accordingly and see what's in front of us. Sri Lanka are a very good team," the 35-year-old said. 

 

 

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Head launched a brutal onslaught on Sri Lankan spinners and justified the promotion as opener with a 40-ball 57. Usman Khawaja scored a half-century as well. Australia were 145/2 after the end of first session