Australian batting maestro Steve Smith has once again etched his name in cricketing history, becoming the joint-second fastest batter to reach the 10,000-run milestone in Test cricket. Achieving the feat in just 115 matches, Smith now shares this record with Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara, with only Brian Lara (111 matches) ahead of them.
Smith’s historic moment came on Day 1 of the opening Test match between Sri Lanka and Australia in Galle. Walking into bat at No. 4, Smith needed just one run to reach the milestone and wasted no time getting there, flicking his first ball past mid-on for a single.
The stand-in skipper’s achievement places him among an elite group of batters who have crossed the 10,000-run mark in Test cricket. While he is the 15th overall player to achieve this feat and only the fourth Australian, Smith boasts the second-best career average (55.87) among all Australian players to reach this mark.
Notably, Ricky Ponting, Allan Border, and Steve Waugh all reached the 10,000-run milestone while serving as Australian captains.
Steve Smith is now the fifth-fastest batter in terms of innings played to reach 10,000 Test runs, having done so in 205 innings. The record for the fastest remains jointly held by Lara, Sangakkara, and Sachin Tendulkar, all of whom reached the mark in 195 innings.
Best Batting Averages at the 10,000 Test Run Milestone
| Player | Batting Average |
|---|---|
| Ricky Ponting | 58.72 |
| Sachin Tendulkar | 57.61 |
| Kumar Sangakkara | 55.96 |
| Steve Smith | 55.87 |
| Rahul Dravid | 55.41 |
| Jacques Kallis | 54.42 |
| Younis Khan | 53.09 |
| Brian Lara | 52.91 |
| Allan Border | 52.08 |
| Sunil Gavaskar | 51.04 |
| Mahela Jayawardene | 50.91 |
| Shivnarine Chanderpaul | 50.02 |
| Steve Waugh | 49.66 |
| Joe Root | 49.57 |
| Alastair Cook | 46.49 |
Smith’s 55.87 average at this milestone places him fourth on the all-time list, reinforcing his status as one of the most prolific and consistent Test batters of all time.
Fastest Batters to 10,000 Test Runs
| Player | Team | Matches Taken | Innings Taken |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Lara | West Indies | 111 | 195 |
| Kumar Sangakkara | Sri Lanka | 115 | 195 |
| Steve Smith | Australia | 115 | 205 |
| Younis Khan | Pakistan | 116 | 208 |
| Ricky Ponting | Australia | 118 | 196 |
| Joe Root | England | 118 | 218 |
| Rahul Dravid | India | 120 | 206 |
| Sachin Tendulkar | India | 122 | 195 |
| Sunil Gavaskar | India | 124 | 212 |
| Mahela Jayawardene | Sri Lanka | 127 | 210 |
| Alastair Cook | England | 128 | 229 |
| Jacques Kallis | South Africa | 129 | 217 |
| Allan Border | Australia | 136 | 235 |
| Shivnarine Chanderpaul | West Indies | 140 | 239 |
| Steve Waugh | Australia | 156 | 244 |
Steve Smith’s latest achievement further cements his status as one of the modern greats of the game. With Australia aiming to dominate the ongoing Test series against Sri Lanka ahead of the WTC Final and the Champions Trophy, Smith’s form will be crucial in ensuring a strong start to the year.
Given his remarkable consistency and insatiable hunger for runs, the Australian star is well on his way to rewriting cricket history in the coming years.
