Steve Smith joins Elite Club with 10,000 Test runs

English , Snippets , Sports - کھیل اور کھلاڑی , / Wednesday, January 29th, 2025

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RKI Network

Australia’s Steve Smith etched his name among cricket’s greats by surpassing 10,000 Test runs during the opening Test against Sri Lanka in Galle.

Starting the match just one run short of the milestone, Smith reached the landmark on his first ball, nudging a single off Prabath Jayasuriya. He became the 15th batsman and only the fourth Australian—after Ricky Ponting, Allan Border, and Steve Waugh—to achieve the feat.

The 35-year-old, leading Australia in Pat Cummins’ absence, acknowledged the crowd’s applause as he joined a list topped by India’s Sachin Tendulkar (15,921 runs). The legendary Sunil Gavaskar was the first to breach the 10,000-run mark in 1987.

Since his debut in 2010, Smith has built a stellar career, averaging over 55 in 114 Tests with 34 centuries. Initially a leg-spinner batting at No. 8, he transformed into one of the world’s premier Test batsmen and captains.

Widely regarded as a modern-day great, Smith is often compared to his contemporaries—India’s Virat Kohli, New Zealand’s Kane Williamson, and England’s Joe Root—as part of cricket’s elite batting quartet.