Australia’s Steve Smith reached a major milestone on Wednesday, becoming the 15th player in Test cricket history to score 10,000 runs. During the opening Test against Sri Lanka in Galle, Smith was on 9,999 runs, and on his first ball of the match, he pushed for a single off Prabath Jayasuriya to secure the achievement. This made him the fourth Australian to join this elite group, following in the footsteps of Ricky Ponting, Allan Border, and Steve Waugh.
The 35-year-old Smith, currently the stand-in captain for Australia after Pat Cummins stepped down due to the birth of his second child, acknowledged the crowd’s applause as he raised his bat. With this achievement, Smith joins an illustrious list led by India’s Sachin Tendulkar, the highest run scorer in Test cricket with 15,921 runs.
Smith’s remarkable career includes 34 centuries and an average of over 55 across 114 Tests since his debut in 2010. Initially starting as a leg-spinner at number eight, Smith has become one of the modern era’s best batsmen and part of a renowned quartet alongside Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, and Joe Root.
