After nearly a month of anticipation, Steve Smith has finally achieved the significant milestone of 10,000 runs in Test cricket. He accomplished this feat with a deft flick of the bat through short mid-wicket for a single on his very first delivery, making him the 15th player in history to reach this five-figure mark, the fourth Australian to do so, and the joint-second fastest, having reached the milestone in just 115 Tests. Following this achievement, as he progressed towards his fifty on the first day of the inaugural Test against Sri Lanka in Galle, Smith was compared to the legendary Don Bradman.

In an interview with Fox Cricket, former England cricketer Michael Vaughan expressed that only a select few players have amassed statistics that warrant comparison to Bradman, placing Smith in that elite category and labelling him as the 'best modern-day Test match player.'

He stated: “I would argue that he is the best modern-day Test match player. I think he is the best problem solver. He has a quirky technique but he just seems to be able to pick the ball out of the hand of the bowlers quicker than most. He has this amazing ability to study the field and work out what is on and what is not on any given day on a pitch. If you look at his numbers, there are only a small few who have got close to being talked about like Don Bradman. And when you are in a conversation when the Don is involved, you know you are pretty good.”

Former Australian wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist expressed his astonishment at the remarkable transformation of Steve Smith's career, which began with his selection as a leg-spinner batting at No. 8 during his debut match against Pakistan at Lord's in 2010. Although Smith scored only 13 runs in that game while taking three wickets, he subsequently achieved an impressive total of 34 centuries in his next 114 Test matches, ranking seventh in the all-time list.

“What is particularly remarkable is how his journey commenced, entering the team as a lower-order batsman and a leg-spinner at a time when we were still searching for a successor to Shane Warne. There were uncertainties regarding his potential as that option. This aspect of his career is what I find truly astonishing,” Gilchrist remarked to Fox Cricket.

Ravi Shastri also offered 'a special' commendation for Smith. Despite the impressive statistics that highlight Smith's illustrious career, it was his century on a challenging pitch in Pune during the 2017 Border-Gavaskar series that particularly impressed the former head coach of India.

“I have witnessed all these hundreds both as a coach and a broadcaster, and he is indeed a remarkable player. His passion for the game is evident. What strikes me is his ability to adapt to varying conditions. Scoring a century on a difficult pitch in India was exceptional. Even when he is not performing at his peak, he finds ways to position himself to score runs. Over time, teams analyze his game, and video analysts scrutinize every aspect of his technique. Yet, he continues to stay ahead of the curve, maintaining an average exceeding 55 at the age of 35 and surpassing 10,000 runs is truly remarkable. Therefore, I consider him a great player,” Shastri stated to Fox Cricket.

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