Steve Smith Surpasses Rahul Dravid In Unique List On His Way To Score Landmark 10,000 Runs In Red Ball Cricket

Sri Lanka vs Australia 1st Test: After qualifying for the World Test Championship 2025 Finals, the Australians are in with a great chance to fine tune their red ball preparations with a series against Sri Lanka. Earlier this month, Australia led by Pat Cummins defeated India 3-1 in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. Fortunately for Australia, their stand-in skipper seems to have found some form and it has come at the right time.

Smith Surpasses Rahul Dravid In Unique List

Steve Smith who was just 1 run away from 10,000 runs before the start of the AUS vs SL Test series has finally breached the landmark. The Australian star has now become the 15th Men's Test cricketer to reach 10,000 runs. After Australian greats such as  Ricky Ponting, Allan Border and Steve Waugh, Smith has become only the fourth batter to breach this milestone. Steven Smith has also surpassed Rahul Dravid in the list of fastest to 10000 runs taking number of innings into consideration.

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Fastest to 10,000 runs in Test cricket (number of innings)

• 195: Brian Lara in the year 2004 (vs England)
• 195: Sachin Tendulkar in the year 2005 (vs Pakistan)
• 195: Kumar Sangakkara in the year 2012 (vs Australia)
• 196: Ricky Ponting in the year 2008 (vs West Indies)
• 205: Steve Smith in the year 2025 (vs Sri Lanka)
• 206: Rahul Dravid in the year 2008 (vs South Africa)

Smith Leads Australia in first Test

Earlier Khawaja and Travis Head made the most of spin-friendly conditions in Galle, crafting half-centuries. On a surface expected to favor the spinners, Australia's batters countered with positive intent, regularly finding the boundary and forcing Sri Lanka to spread the field. Head, in particular, was in a punishing mood, reaching his half-century in just 35 balls, leaving Sri Lanka scrambling for answers.

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Khawaja, in contrast, adopted a more measured approach, playing with patience while rotating the strike. The duo stitched together a commanding 92-run opening stand before Head fell for 57, caught at long-on off Prabath Jayasuriya.

Sri Lanka struck again when Marnus Labuschagne departed for 20, courtesy of a sharp catch at slip by Dhananjaya de Silva, handing leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay his first wicket of the match. Smith is captaining the Australian side in the absence of Pat Cummins, who is on paternity leave. Australia recently won a five-test series against India in Australia which qualified it for the World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord's in June. The second test in the two-match series begins Feb. 6, also in Galle. 

(With PTI Inputs)