GALLE: Australian cricket star Steve Smith has joined an exclusive group of batters by reaching 10,000 Test runs during the opening Test against Sri Lanka on Wednesday.

Starting the match at 9,999 runs, Smith achieved the milestone on his very first ball, nudging a single off Prabath Jayasuriya in Galle. He became the 15th cricketer and the fourth Australian to accomplish this feat, alongside Ricky Ponting, Allan Border, and Steve Waugh.

Acknowledging the crowd’s applause, the 35-year-old expressed his delight, stating, “Fortunately hit that one in the gap, so nice to get that one away. Nice to tick that off.”

The list of 10,000+ Test run scorers is led by India’s Sachin Tendulkar (15,921 runs). The first cricketer to achieve this milestone was Sunil Gavaskar, who crossed the mark against Pakistan in 1987.

Smith is captaining Australia in the two-match Test series after regular skipper Pat Cummins withdrew for the birth of his second child.

Since his debut in 2010, Smith has maintained an outstanding Test average of over 55, scoring 34 centuries in 114 matches. Initially starting his career as a leg-spinner batting at number eight, he quickly rose to become one of the best batters in the world.

Often regarded as a modern-day great, Smith is part of the celebrated quartet of batters, alongside Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, and Joe Root, who have dominated Test cricket in recent years.

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