Star batter Steve Smith became Australia’s highest test run-scorer in the Asian Subcontinent on day 02 of the second test of Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka 2025 in Galle.
He went past legendary Ricky Ponting to surpass the tally of 1889 runs in Asia. Earlier on Day 01, Ponting’s record for the most Test catches by an Australian outfielder (197).
Ponting had scored 1889 runs in 48 innings at an average of 41.97. However, Smith reached the milestone in just his 42nd inning with an average of 51.08.
Smith has previously expressed to focus too much on milestones, admitting that he had been aiming to cross 10,000 runs which he accomplished in the first test against Sri Lanka.
He also become the 15th player in the test history to surpass 10,000 run mark and fourth from their country following Allan Border, Steve Waugh, and Ricky Ponting.
He reached the milestone in just 115 tests and 205 innings, making him the third fastest player to achieve the feat. The fastest remain a three-way tie between Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara, who all reached the landmark in 195 innings.
Despite initial challenges in the second test, Smith survived a LBW appeal on the first ball he faced and a close edge off Prabath Jayasuriya’s bowling on 12.
His skills and experience in subcontinent conditions have prove invaluable for Australia, especially on a challenging Galle pitch where Sri Lanka scored 257 runs in the first innings.
He went on to smash century and helped the side to secure a lead. His century was his third in four matches in Sri Lanka and his sixth overall in Asia, drawing him level with Allan Border for the most Test centuries by an Australian in the subcontinent.
Smith’s consistency has made him one of the finest batters in challenging overseas conditions. However, there remains uncertainity over whether this will be his last test in Asia.
Smith’s resilience helped the side to secure and extend the lead in the ongoing test match played at Galle.
