‘Magnificent’ Steve Smith finally hits huge cricket milestone

It took a little longer than he wanted, but Steve Smith has joined an exclusive club while Usman Khawaja made a statement of his own.

It took a little longer than he would have wanted, but Steve Smith has joined one of the most exclusive clubs in Test cricket.

Smith (104 not out) and 38-year-old Usman Khawaja (147no) both smashed unbeaten tons as Australia dominated the opening day of the first Test against Sri Lanka, reaching 2/330 when rain brought an early stumps.

When Smith was out for just four runs in Australia’s second innings of the fifth Test against India at the SCG earlier this month, it left him stranded on 9999 runs for his career.

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In the first Test in Galle on Wednesday, the 35-year-old brought up the 10,000-run milestone on his very first delivery to thrill fans at the ground and around the world.

The stand-in captain then made the moment even more special, striding to a 35th Test ton to move within reach of the top five on the all-time centuries list.

Smith is the 15th player to reach the 10,000-run mark and the fifth fastest, coming in his 205th innings, behind only Brian Lara (195 innings), Sachin Tendulkar (195), Kumar Sangakkara (195) and Ricky Ponting (196).

“A landmark moment, there it is, Steve Smith with 10,000 Test runs,” said a Channel 7 commentator.

Watch the moment in the video player above

Steve Smith celebrates after scoring his 10,000th Test run. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

“He’s been the player of his generation and a moment here that reinforces what a special career this has been.”

Simon Katich added: “It certainly is. He’s up there with the greats, fifth fastest in history behind Lara, Tendulkar, Sangakkara and Ponting.

“All legends of the game, he joins them now in a wonderful moment.”

Smith is the fourth Australian to reach the five-figure mark, following Ponting (13,378 career runs), Allan Border (11,174) and Steve Waugh (10,927).

His average of just under 56 is also significantly better than the three Aussies above him.

He nearly got himself out just three balls after bringing up the mark when he spooned a chance to Prabath Jayasuriya off his own bowling, but the Sri Lankan put it down.

Smith, who was stripped of the Test captaincy over the sandpaper controversy in 2018, is back captaining the side in place of the rested Pat Cummins.

Fans in from far to see Steve Smith's 1️⃣0️⃣,0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣th 🙌 #SLvAUSpic.twitter.com/GITZKQZM4p

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) January 29, 2025

The New South Welshman won the toss and batted in the first of two Tests against Sri Lanka.

With Travis Head moved to opener in place of the dropped Sam Konstas, debutant Josh Inglis and spinners Troy Murphy and Matthew Kuhnemann formed a new-look Australian side.

The Aussies then got off to a flyer, but the departures of Head (57) and Marnus Labuschagne (20) brought Smith to the crease and he wasted no time bringing up the rare mark.

Speaking to Channel 7 after the first session closed with Australia 2/145, Smith was more interested in the match situation than his own mark.

“Fortunately I hit that one in the gap, nice to get it away,” he said.

Asked what he thought about the milestone, he replied: “Nothing right now, just trying to focus on batting.

“There’s a bit of spin, bit of skid, I thought the guys played well early.”

So it was left to the likes of Ponting to talk about Smith’s achievement.

“This is a moment in cricketing history isn’t it? Steve Smith, 10,000 Test runs,” he said.

“Might have been a slightly grander stage if it was brought up a couple of weeks ago in front of his home crowd at the SCG.

“But, you look around this ground in Galle there are a lot of Aussies there who have flown out just to witness that moment. Fantastic.

“Magnificent achievement for the Australian number four and current captain of this side.”

Skipper Smith carries the Warne-Muralitharan trophy with Sri Lankan counterpart Dhananjaya de Silva. (Photo by Ishara S. KODIKARA / AFP)

Smith was gutted to get out one run short at the SCG. (Photo by Saeed KHAN / AFP)

Smith and Khawaja both felt a little heat during the Australian summer after lean periods with the bat.

But both have responded in the best way possible.

“There’s a reason Khawaja wasn’t dropped against India. It was this right here. The man knows how to bat in Asia,” tweeted sports journalist Mark Gottlieb.

“Form was not the issue for Khawaja, it was Jasprit Bumrah,” wrote the Dinda Academy on X.

Another account added: “So Usman Khawaja was right. He wasn’t out of form, he was just getting Bumrah-ed.”

Usman Khawaja celebrates his own outstanding ton. (Photo by Ishara S. KODIKARA / AFP)

While Khawaja’s knock was outstanding, Smith was the man of the moment as his 35th century left him one away from climbing the record books further.

He is trailing only Tendulkar (51 tons), Jacques Kallis (45), Ponting (41), Sangakkara (38), Joe Root and Rahul Dravid (both 36) on the list of Test tons.

A number of cricket fans were left saying the same thing about Smith, widely considered one of it not the best batter of his generation.

One wrote on X: “Steve Smith’s technique might be unorthodox, but the results speak for themselves!”

Another wrote: “A truly modern great. Been a rise to remember from the young leggie to one of the top Test batters of his generation!”

A third tweeted: “The greatest modern-day Test batter gets to 10,000 runs. It was fated not to be vs India because Steve Smith had to be leading Australia when he got there. Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting were all captains when they scored their 10000th.”

A fourth added: “The greatest Test batter of this generation: 10,000 Test runs and counting!”

Australia will be aiming to ram home its advantage when day two gets underway on Thursday.

Originally published as ‘Magnificent’ Steve Smith finally hits huge cricket milestone