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After failing to do so in the 5th and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Sydney, Australia stand-in skipper Steve Smith finally breached the 10,000-run milestone in Tests, on Day 1 of the first match against Sri Lanka. After completing 10k runs in the longest format of the game, Smith also brought up his 35th Test ton, 17 of which have come away from home. In doing so, Smith managed to surpass India great Virat Kohli in the list of batters with the most away centuries in Test cricket.
Kohli held the No. 1 spot, with 16 away tons to his name in Tests but lost the spot to Smith on Wednesday.
Missing the chance to reach the mark in his home city of Sydney during the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, Smith brought up the five-figure milestone in Australia's first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle, playing his signature flick toward mid-on, setting off for one before raising his bat to acknowledge the applause.
The moment was marked by an ovation from the Australian group.
Smith moved the score to 137/2 with the run, continuing Australia's strong start after the tourists won the toss and elected to bat.
The 35-year-old has compiled his runs at an average of over 55, with Kumar Sangakkara the only batter beyond the 10,000 figure with a better return (57.40). He became the fifth fastest batter by innings to reach 10,000 Test runs.
The batter joins Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting as the fourth Australian to reach the mark.
After Smith, a famed member of the 'Fab Four,' added another feat to his name, Ponting feels the flamboyant batter he deserves to be considered the best player of his generation.
For Ponting, Smith's numbers put a strong case for him being the best player of his generation ahead of Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson and Joe Root.
"Is he the best player of his generation? It's hard to argue against it. Joe Root is the other one now, and [Kane] Williamson's record is outstanding as well. Joe's last couple of years have elevated him right back up there, I think," Seven commentator Ponting said as quoted from The Sydney Morning Herald.
"Five or six years ago, when this big four emerged, with [Virat] Kohli being one of those as well, Joe was probably down near the bottom part of that because he hadn't made the hundreds the other guys had made, but he's made 19 hundreds in the past four years," he added.