Steve Smith surpasses Sunil Gavaskar, becoming the third-fastest batter

Steve Smith reached the historic 10,000-run milestone with a single before going on to score his 35th Test century, helping Australia post 330 for 2 on Day 1 of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle on Wednesday. Smith remained unbeaten on 104 at stumps alongside Usman Khawaja, who was on 147, as the duo built a crucial 195-run third-wicket partnership. Batting at No. 4, Smith showcased his signature precision and calmness, forming a solid stand with Khawaja. His century, brought up in 179 balls with 10 fours and a six in his 205th innings, makes him the third-fastest to 35 Test centuries, behind only Ricky Ponting (195 innings) and Sachin Tendulkar (200 innings).

Steve Smith Joins Elite Club with 10,000 Test Runs and 35th Century

Steve Smith reached the remarkable 10,000-run milestone with a single before notching his 35th Test century, helping Australia post 330 for 2 on Day 1 of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle. Smith was unbeaten on 104 at stumps, alongside Usman Khawaja, who remained on 147, as they forged a crucial 195-run stand for the third wicket.

Batting at No. 4, Smith showcased his signature precision and calmness, building a strong partnership with Khawaja. He reached his century in 179 balls, hitting 10 fours and a six, achieving the feat in his 205th innings. This makes him the third-fastest batter to 35 Test centuries, trailing only Ricky Ponting (195 innings) and Sachin Tendulkar (200 innings).

Smith has now joined an elite group of just seven players to have scored 35 Test centuries, a list that includes Tendulkar (51), Jacques Kallis (45), Ponting (41), Kumar Sangakkara (38), Rahul Dravid (36), and Joe Root (36).

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By surpassing Sunil Gavaskar, Brian Lara, Mahela Jayawardene, and Younis Khan, Smith has solidified his place among cricketing legends.

This century also marked his 16th as Australia’s captain, surpassing Allan Border and Steve Waugh (both with 15). Among Australian skippers, only Ponting (19) has more centuries. Globally, Smith ranks fourth behind Graeme Smith (25), Virat Kohli (20), and Ponting.

His batting dominance is evident in his leadership stats. He is close to 4,000 Test runs as captain, averaging over 68. Among skippers with at least 3,000 Test runs, only Don Bradman (101) has a higher average.

Earlier in the day, Smith became the 15th player to surpass 10,000 Test runs. He joined an elite group of Australian legends, including Allan Border, Steve Waugh, and Ricky Ponting. He also became the fifth-fastest to reach this milestone. Only Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Sangakkara, and Ponting achieved it in fewer innings, doing so in 195 or 196.

Also Read:Steve Smith Joins Elite Club with 10,000 Test Runs and 35th Century