Steve Smith added another major milestone to his Test career on day four of the second Test against South Africa, becoming only the third Australian batter to reach 11,000 runs in the format.
The 37-year-old reached the mark in Gqeberha during an innings where South Africa’s bowlers controlled the match for long stretches. Australia were restricted to 99 in the first innings and were then forced to follow on, but Smith still finished as his side’s top scorer with 28.
A small Australian group
Smith now joins Ricky Ponting and Allan Border as the only Australian batters to get to 11,000 Test runs. That places him in rare company in Australian Test history and underlines the longevity of a career that began with his Test debut in 2010.
The milestone also fits into his current World Test Championship record. Smith has scored 650 runs from 10 Tests in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship cycle, which shows he remains a central part of Australia’s batting order even as the team continues to navigate a difficult series.
Smith is the most experienced batter in Australia’s current squad, and his latest achievement came in a match where runs were hard to find. South Africa’s pressure has left Australia chasing the game, but Smith’s place among the format’s leading run-scorers is another reminder of how much he has already given the side over more than a decade.
For readers following Smith’s broader career trajectory, the milestone adds to a record that already includes 37 centuries and 45 fifty-plus scores in Tests. It also shows that, even in a low-scoring innings, he can still reach another significant landmark. For more on another ongoing player storyline, see Steve Smith praises Brian Fleury hire as Drew Lock gets another chance to benefit from the Seahawks' new offensive mindset.
