Star Australian cricketer Steve Smith has shared his thoughts on missing out on reaching the significant milestone of 10,000 runs in Test cricket. During the recent fifth Test against India in Sydney, Smith needed 38 runs to achieve this feat. Unfortunately, he fell just short, finishing with 37 runs in total across both innings.
In a recent interview, Smith revealed that the pressure surrounding this milestone was weighing heavily on his mind. He has now stayed stuck at 9,999 runs after 114 matches. Although he usually keeps a relaxed attitude towards statistics, this particular landmark felt different. Smith acknowledged that with the intense media spotlight on him, reaching 10,000 runs became a constant thought.
“I try not to focus too much on stats, but 10,000 is a big deal. To be honest, it did cross my mind more than usual. Normally, I don’t get caught up in that, but there was so much media attention leading up to the game,” he explained during a radio show.
He even joked about how he kept thinking about teammate Josh Hazlewood’s shirt number, which is 38, before going to bed each night leading up to the match. “All I could picture while trying to sleep was the back of Josh Hazlewood’s shirt because he’s number 38. It’s a bit funny like that!” he said with a laugh.
Smith also expressed disappointment about not reaching the milestone in front of his friends and family in Sydney, but he is optimistic about achieving it in the upcoming first Test against Sri Lanka.
“It was really on my mind more than in any other game, but it is what it is,” he said. “The good thing is that we won the game, so that made everything okay. I would love to get it done on the first day in Galle. It would have been great to do it in Sydney surrounded by friends and family, especially as I would have joined an elite group, but it just wasn’t meant to be.”
Once he reaches the 10,000-run mark, Smith will become the fourth Australian and the 15th player overall in cricket history to do so. Legends Allan Border, Steve Waugh, and Ricky Ponting have previously hit this milestone for Australia, and Smith is eager to finally cross the threshold in the upcoming Test starting January 29.
