Australia’s Steve Smith experienced a bittersweet moment during the fifth Test against India at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). Despite his team’s commanding six-wicket victory to secure the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Smith narrowly missed achieving the milestone of 10,000 Test runs, falling just one run short during his home-ground performance.
Twice Dismissed in the Nervous 9990s
Smith, a Sydney native, entered the match needing 38 runs to reach the prestigious 10,000-run mark in Test cricket. In the first innings, he batted confidently for 33 runs, bringing his career total to 9995 before being dismissed. This placed him among an elite group of batters, including Brian Lara, Alastair Cook, and Mahela Jayawardena, who have been dismissed in the ‘nervous 9990s.’
However, the drama intensified in the second innings. Smith reached 9999 runs before edging a rising delivery from Prasidh Krishna to Yashasvi Jaiswal at gully, leaving the home crowd at the SCG stunned and disappointed.
A Missed Milestone at Home
Missing the milestone at his home ground in front of friends and family was a tough pill to swallow for Smith. “One run… it hurt a little bit at the time,” he admitted while speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald. “It would have been special to achieve it here at the SCG with everyone watching.”
Despite this setback, Smith had a remarkable series against India, scoring two centuries and further cementing his legacy as one of Australia’s all-time greats.
Looking Ahead to Galle
Smith remains optimistic about reaching the milestone soon, with Australia set to face Sri Lanka in Galle. “Hopefully, I can knock it off first thing in Galle,” he said. Smith will captain the side in the absence of Pat Cummins, who is staying home for the birth of his child.
When asked about whether the milestone weighed on his mind during the match, Smith admitted, “I probably let it wander a bit too much throughout the game. It’s a cool milestone to tick off, and I’m looking forward to doing it.”
Joining an Elite Club
Once he achieves the feat, Smith will become only the fourth Australian batter to surpass 10,000 Test runs, joining legends Ricky Ponting, Allan Border, and Steve Waugh. His incredible series performance, which included his 33rd and 34th Test centuries, also saw him surpass Waugh’s tally and edge closer to Ponting’s Australian record of 41 centuries.
Smith’s next opportunity to make history will be in Galle, and cricket fans will undoubtedly watch eagerly as he aims to reach the coveted mark and add another chapter to his illustrious career.
