Gqeberha: Australia’s Steve Smith has entered an elite group of Australian batting greats after becoming only the third player from his country to score 11,000 runs in Test cricket.
The veteran right-hander reached the landmark on Day 4 of the second Test against South Africa in Gqeberha, adding another significant achievement to his illustrious career. Smith scored 28 runs in Australia’s first innings, which ended at a disappointing 99 as the Proteas bowlers dominated the contest.
Smith has now joined former Australia captains Ricky Ponting and Allan Border in the exclusive club of Australian batters to cross the 11,000-run mark in the longest format.
Ponting remains Australia’s leading Test run-scorer with 13,378 runs, followed by Border with 11,174. Smith occupies third place with 11,000 runs, narrowly ahead of Steve Waugh, who finished his Test career with 10,927 runs.
Smith’s remarkable Test record
Since making his Test debut in 2010, Smith has established himself as one of the most prolific batters of his generation. He has scored 37 Test centuries, the second-highest tally by an Australian batter and the sixth-best overall in the history of the format.
Only Sachin Tendulkar, Jacques Kallis, Ricky Ponting, Joe Root and Kumar Sangakkara stand ahead of Smith in the all-time list of Test century-makers.
The former Australian captain has also registered 45 half-centuries, underlining his consistency and ability to deliver substantial contributions at the highest level.
Smith’s experience and run-scoring ability remain crucial to Australia’s ambitions in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship cycle. He has accumulated 650 runs in 10 Tests during the current cycle, reinforcing his importance to the team’s batting line-up.
Australia under pressure against South Africa
Despite Smith’s personal milestone, Australia find themselves in a difficult position in the second Test against South Africa.
After dismissing the visitors for just 99 in the first innings, the Proteas enforced the follow-on and put Australia under considerable pressure as they looked to level the series 1-1 in Gqeberha.
Australia will need a determined batting effort in their second innings to stay in contention, with Smith’s experience likely to be vital in their attempt to recover from the first-innings collapse.
While the 11,000-run milestone marks another landmark in Smith’s distinguished career, the Australian batter’s immediate priority will be to produce a substantial innings and help his side survive a challenging Test match.
