Wed Jan 29 11:06:49 UTC 2025: **Smith Achieves 10,000 Test Runs, Second Fastest Ever**
Colombo, Sri Lanka – Australian batting star Steve Smith has reached a monumental milestone in his Test career, becoming only the second-fastest batsman to score 10,000 runs in the format. Smith achieved the feat during the first Test against Sri Lanka, reaching the landmark with his first run of the match.
This accomplishment places Smith in elite company, making him the fourth Australian to achieve this incredible feat, joining the likes of Ricky Ponting, Brian Lara and others. Remarkably, he achieved 10,000 runs in just 115 Test matches, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 122 Tests to reach the milestone. Only Brian Lara, who reached the mark in 111 Tests, was quicker.
While Smith narrowly missed reaching the milestone during the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy, he made up for it in style against Sri Lanka. His achievement comes despite some recent inconsistencies in his form, highlighting his enduring excellence. Smith currently boasts an impressive average of over 50 in Test cricket, with 34 centuries and 41 half-centuries to his name. His accomplishment also overshadows Virat Kohli, who despite playing 122 Tests, has yet to reach the 10,000-run mark.
The top 15 batsmen to reach 10,000 Test runs include: Sachin Tendulkar (15921), Ricky Ponting (13378), Jacques Kallis (13289), Rahul Dravid (13288), Joe Root (12972), Alastair Cook (12472), Kumar Sangakkara (12400), Brian Lara (11953), Shivnarine Chanderpaul (11867), Mahela Jayawardene (11814), Allan Border (11174), Steve Waugh (10927), Sunil Gavaskar (10122), Younis Khan (10099), and Steve Smith (10000).
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