Steven Smith has made cricket history by being the fifth-fastest batter to reach 10,000 Test runs. The historic moment occurred during the first Test between Sri Lanka and Australia in Galle. Smith, who began the series with 9999 Test runs, required only one run to attain the milestone.
The moment came just before lunch on Day 1, when he pushed a delivery from Prabath Jayasuriya to long-on for a single. As the audience and his teammates praised his feat, he raised his bat to acknowledge them.
Smith had a lucky break early in his innings, as he was dropped on the third ball. However, he took advantage of the occasion and stayed unbeaten at lunch. Travis Head, his colleague, started the innings aggressively, adjusting to his new role as an opener in Asian conditions.
Smith attained the milestone after 205 innings, trailing only Ricky Ponting (196) among Australians. Globally, only Sachin Tendulkar, Kumar Sangakkara, and Brian Lara (195 innings) were faster.
Smith had previously been dismissed twice in the 9990s, heightening the drama of his quest for 10,000 runs. However, this time in Galle, he made no mistakes and even scored a fast fifty after lunch.
