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The australian star batter Steve Smith passed the 10,000-run milestone in Test cricket during the first day of his side’s opening match in Sri Lanka.
The 35-year-old went into the first Test of the two-match series on 9,999 runs in sydney and, as captain in the absence of Pat Cummins, chose to bat after winning the toss.
He came to the pitch after Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne had been dismissed and nudged his first delivery to mid-on for a single to become the 15th batter to reach 10,000 Test runs.
Smith is the fourth Australian to reach the landmark after Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting.Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar was the first to cross 10,000 runs in Test cricket when he achieved the feat against Pakistan in 1987 at Ahmedabad.
smith has an impressive average of more than 55 across 114 prior Tests, including 34 centuries since his 2010 debut.
Smith started as a leg-spinner who batted at number eight but soon rose to become the number one Test batter and captain of Australia.
Smith is recognized as a modern-day great and part of a famous quartet of new-era batsmen including India’s Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson of New Zealand and England’s Joe Root.
India’s Sachin Tendulkar holds the record for the most Test runs on 15,921, with Ponting second with 13,378.
England’s Joe Root is fifth on the list with 12,972 runs after he passed compatriot Alastair Cook, who is sixth on 12,472.