Fastest to 10,000 Test runs: Steve Smith moves into joint-second on all-time list

On day one of the first Test between Sri Lanka and Australia in Galle, Smith, captain of the side, chose to bat first after winning the toss. Opener Travis Head, in for Sam Konstas, got the visitors off to a flyer with a quickfire 57 off 40 balls.

Smith came in at No.4, after Head was caught on the boundary off the bowling of Prabath Jayasuriya, and Marnus Labuschagne nicked Jeffrey Vandersay to slip.

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He came into this match with 9,999 Test runs to his name, having been dismissed one short of the landmark in the fifth Test against India earlier this month. Off the very first ball he faced here, Smith flicked it past mid-on for a single to complete 10,000 runs in the longest format. Just two balls later, however, he had a close shave as Jayasuriya dropped a return catch.

At lunch on day one, Australia were 145-2, with Smith (2*) and Usman Khawaja (65*) at the crease.

Fastest to 10,000 Test runs, full list

Smith has reached the landmark in his 115th Test, the joint-second fastest ever. Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara also did it in 115 Tests, while West Indian star Brian Lara did it in the fewest number of Tests, 111.

In terms of innings batted to reach 10,000 runs though, Smith is the fifth-fastest, at 205. Lara, Sangakkara and India's Sachin Tendulkar all took 195 innings, while Smith's compatriot Ricky Ponting did it in 196 innings.

Overall, Smith is the 15th player to this milestone, and the fourth Australian. Interestingly, all four Australians completed the feat while captaining the team. Here, Smith is standing in for Pat Cummins, who is on paternity leave.