Sydney [Australia], January 5 : Steven Smith fell agonizingly short of reaching the monumental 10,000-run milestone in Test cricket, dismissed for 9999 career runs on Day 3 of the final Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test on Sunday. The Australian star's dismissal at the hands of Prasidh Krishna ended his chance to achieve the milestone at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
Reflecting on the dismissal, Pat Cummins said, "Yeah, the nervous 9999. He was, I think he was, you know, wanting to win the game. I didn't, I was kind of hiding at the front, so I didn't see too much but, yeah, I think we all knew kind of what we were playing for and how big it was. So, I dare say more so the moment of, you know, wanting to be that match-winner. Being there at the end and not getting the opportunity probably more so than the personal milestone. It would have been nice for him to get it at the SCG."
Smith's dismissal robbed him of a historic personal milestone.
Prasidh Krishna's ability to step up in a crucial moment further underscored the Indian pacer's growing reputation as a game-changer. Smith, widely regarded as one of the modern-day greats, will now wait for another chance to etch his name in history by becoming only the second Australian to achieve the 10,000-run milestone in Test cricket.
The stage was set for Smith to walk up in front of a jam-packed crowd at the Sydney Cricket Ground. After a fiery start by young Sam Konstas, Australia had to resort to caution while chasing 162.
Once the young prodigy fell, India saw an opportunity to make a comeback by applying pressure, with Prasidh Krishna taking centre stage on Sydney's tricky surface.
Filled with cracks and covered by grass, the pitch suited Prasidh, who found the formula for success against the established Australian duo of Marnus Labuschagne and Steven Smith.
After forcing an outside edge from Labuschagne, Prasidh ran rampant in Sydney. With Smith standing just one run short of reaching the 10,000 Test runs milestone, Prasidh spoiled the moment for the local hero.
In front of his home crowd, Smith stood one shot away from celebrating a massive milestone in his career. However, Prasidh extracted extra bounce from the surface and forced Smith to commit to the shot.
Smith looked helpless while trying to fend off the rising delivery, eventually slicing it to Yashasvi Jaiswal, who dived from the third slip to take a stunning catch.
Jaiswal broke off in a sprint to celebrate, while Prasidh punched the air in jubilation over the crucial wicket. The crowd went bonkers as Smith had to wait for another day to complete 10,000 Test runs. With the SCG and Indian team experiencing euphoria, Smith returned to the dressing room with a score of 4 (9).
This was the second time Prasidh had dismissed Smith in the match. In the first innings, Prasidh had also claimed Smith's prized wicket.