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          9999 and out: Steven Smith falls one short of landmark 10,000 Test runs

          Prasidh Krishna dismissed Steven Smith Getty Images
          • Andrew McGlashan, Deputy editor, ESPNcricinfoJan 5, 2025, 03:29 PM
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              Deputy Editor Andrew arrived at ESPNcricinfo via Manchester and Cape Town, after finding the assistant editor at a weak moment as he watched England's batting collapse in the Newlands Test. Andrew began his cricket writing as a freelance covering Lancashire during 2004 when they were relegated in the County Championship. In fact, they were top of the table when he began reporting on them but things went dramatically downhill. He likes to let people know that he is a supporter of county cricket, a fact his colleagues will testify to and bemoan in equal quantities.

          For the second time in two days, Steven Smith fell agonisingly short of reaching the 10,000-run landmark.

          On Saturday he edged to slip five short. Then 24 hours later, with a crowd approaching 40,000 watching on during Jane McGrath Day of the Pink Test in Sydney, Prasidh Krishna made a delivery climb from short of a length as Smith advanced down the pitch and he could only fend it into the gully. He became the second batter after Mahela Jayawardene to fall on 9999 runs.

          Smith will now have to wait until the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle later this month for his next opportunity to become the 15th batter to join the 10,000 club.

          Often termed the best since Bradman, Smith will be the fourth Australia batter in the group after Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting. Ahead of this SCG Test, Border paid tribute to Smith and where he stands among the game's greats.

          "Averaging 57 or so is in the top echelon ever, if you take one certain bloke [Bradman] out of it and he's right up there with the very, very best," he told Nine newspapers. "As far as Australia's concerned, we've had Greg Chappell, Ricky Ponting, Steve Waugh, those sorts of players.

          "But now Steve [Smith] ranks equally with that group, no problems whatsoever. I'm a huge fan of Tendulkar and Lara, they were phenomenally good cricketers, but Steve is definitely up with that lot, for sure."

          It has felt like a run-scoring feat that Smith was destined to achieve - he was the fastest to 8000 Test runs and second fastest to the 9000 mark - although the final climb to the summit has taken longer than expected after a relatively lean 2023-24 season which included a brief spell as opener following David Warner's retirement. Back-to-back centuries in Brisbane and Melbourne left him on the brink, but now the wait goes that big longer.

          Smith is likely to captain Australia on the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka where Pat Cummins is expected to miss at least one Test for the birth of his second child.