Australia was 145-2 after winning the toss and batting in the first test against Sri Lanka, when Steve Smith hits his 10,000th test run to join the elite cricket group.
In the first test against Sri Lanka on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, Australia won the toss and batting and was 145-2 after Steve Smith ran over his 10,000th test run, placing him in elite cricket company in 2025.
Steve Smith Reaches 10,000 Test Runs as Australia Stands at 145/2 at Lunch vs Sri Lanka
Smith only needed one run on Wednesday to reach the milestone, and he and opener Usman Khawaja, who was undefeated at 65, were both 2 not out at lunchtime. Prior to his dismissal in the fifth Australia-India test in Sydney earlier this month, Smith had amassed 9,999 career test runs.
Smith became the fourth Australian and the fifteenth player in test cricket history to reach 10,000 runs in a career. With a single to mid-on after skipping down the wicket, he reached the milestone on his first delivery.
The other Australian hitters with 10,000 runs in a test career are Steve Waugh (10,927), Allan Border (11,174), and Ricky Ponting (13,378). With 15,921 runs, Sachin Tendulkar holds the record for most test scores ever.
Earlier, Khawaja and Travis Head produced half-centuries by taking advantage of Galle’s spin-friendly conditions.
Australia’s hitters countered with good intent on a surface that was predicted to favor the spinners. They consistently found the boundary and made Sri Lanka stretch the field. With his half-century in just 35 balls, Head in particular was in a punishing mood and left Sri Lanka reeling.
Khawaja, on the other hand, took a more methodical approach, rotating the strike while playing patiently. After putting together a dominant opening partnership of 92 runs, Head was caught at long-on by Prabath Jayasuriya for 57.
Leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay claimed his first wicket of the game when Marnus Labuschagne left for 20 after being sharply caught at slip by Dhananjaya de Silva, giving Sri Lanka another victory.
Pat Cummins is on paternity leave, so Smith is leading the Australian team in his place. Australia advanced to the World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord’s in June after defeating India in a recent five-test series.
