Fastest 10000 Test Runs: Steve Smith Joins Cricket’s Elite Club

Steve Smith became an Australian cricketing legend; however, that was on this day, the 29th of January, and he is now the second-quickest Australian batter to reach 10,000 Test runs, although in terms of innings taken. He just required one run, which ensured that he sat right at the top table of this game; that was history. Here are the top five batters to reach the fastest 10000 Test runs.

5. Younis Khan (Pakistan): 208 Innings

Pakistan’s Younis Khan is the fifth on the list, achieving the milestone of 10,000 Test runs after 208 innings to do so. He also has the record for taking the most time to enter the 10,000-run elite club in the longest format, 17 years and 54 days.

4. Rahul Dravid (India): 206 Innings

India’s “The Wall” Rahul Dravid scored 206 innings to reach this milestone, a single less than Steve Smith. Dravid crossed the 10,000-test run milestone in 2008, while it took him 11 years and 280 days since he made his Test debut.

3. Steve Smith (Australia) – 205 Innings

Smith joins an exclusive club as only the fourth Australian batsman to reach 10,000 Test runs, with Allan Border and Steve Waugh the other two before him. Ricky Ponting is the other one. Having played only 205 innings so far, Smith continues to show why he’s considered one of the best Test batsmen ever.

2. Ricky Ponting (Australia): 196 Innings

Another Australian legend, Ricky Ponting, had reached 10,000 Test runs in a mere 196 innings. The former captain of Australia completed this record milestone in 2008 in a period of 12 years and 174 days after his first Test.

1. Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, & Kumar Sangakkara: 195 Innings

Brian Lara of the West Indies, Sachin Tendulkar of India, and Kumar Sangakkara of Sri Lanka had reached the same milestone of 10,000 Test runs together in the fewest innings taken by any other batsmen as well: that is in just 195 innings.

• Brian Lara was the first to do so in 2004.
• Sachin Tendulkar followed in 2005.
• Kumar Sangakkara completed the milestone in 2012.

The total of 15 batsmen who have scored over 10,000 runs in Test cricket. Steve Waugh was the slowest to the mark, taking 244 innings to reach it. In terms of years taken, it was a record 18 years and 37 days for West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul. Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, and Kumar Sangakkara are the Fastest 10000 Test Runs scorer.