The stage was set. Everyone at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) was ready to witness the hometown hero, Steve Smith, reach the landmark of 10,000 Test runs against India earlier this month. Ricky Ponting, Allan Border, and Steve Waugh were all present, ready for a special presentation to celebrate Smith, but his plans were thwarted when he was dismissed for just 4 runs in the second innings, leaving him stranded on 9,999.
Thousands of miles away from home, Smith finally joined the prestigious 10,000 Test-run club during the ongoing first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle, when he took a single in the first innings.
At 35, Smith became the 15th player worldwide—and the fourth Australian, after Border, Waugh, and Ponting—to reach the impressive milestone. Only, it happened in much quieter surroundings, with a small crowd and no special ceremony planned to mark the occasion.
Ahead of the Galle Test, Smith, who is standing in as captain for the Sri Lanka series, admitted that the milestone had weighed on his mind ‘a bit too much’ during the fifth and final Test against India, where scores of 33 and 4 left him agonisingly short.
“I probably thought too much about it in Sydney,” Smith said of the landmark ahead of the opening Test against Sri Lanka on Wednesday. “This time, I’ll just try to forget it and focus on the job at hand.”
Smith has ticked off another milestone in what has already been a legendary career. An average of over 55 after playing 115 Tests speaks volumes about the player he is in the longest version of the game. He can enjoy this achievement for a while before shifting his focus to the task at hand, as Australia is batting first in Galle. Having won the toss, Smith would like his team to post a mammoth total in the first innings to put Sri Lanka under pressure.