Australia’s batting mainstay Steve Smith revealed that the pressure of nearing the 10,000-run milestone affected him significantly during the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against India.
Smith entered the match needing just 38 runs to join Ricky Ponting, Allan Border, and Steve Waugh as the only Australians to achieve the milestone. However, scores of 33 and 4 in the two innings left him agonisingly one run short.
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Speaking on SEN 1170 Breakfast, Smith confessed that the weight of the achievement played on his mind, even disrupting his sleep. “I don’t read too much into stats and stuff, but 10,000 is a bit of a different beast. It probably was (on my mind), to be honest. Normally I don’t buy into any of that stuff, but pre-game, I was doing lots of media because I was approaching that mark,” he said.
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Reflecting on his restless nights, Smith added humorously, “I knew I needed 38, and all I could actually picture trying to sleep at night was the back of Josh Hazlewood‘s shirt because he’s number 38. It’s strange like that, isn’t it?”
Despite the missed opportunity, Smith emphasised the importance of Australia securing the win. “It was probably playing on my mind more than any other game that I’ve played, to be honest. But it is what it is. Fortunately, we were able to win that game in the end, so it didn’t really matter,” he said.
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Smith now has another chance to reach the landmark during the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle, starting January 29. Looking ahead, he expressed his excitement, saying, “It’s pretty special. I’d love to tick it off on the first day in Galle. It would have been great to do it in Sydney in front of my friends and family because you’re joining a pretty elite group, but it wasn’t to be.”
For Smith, the milestone represents the culmination of a lifelong dream. “As a kid, I never would have dreamt of that. I dreamt of playing cricket for Australia, but to have been able to get to this mark, it’s a dream come true in a way,” he concluded.