Every player to score 10,000 Test runs: The elite company Steve Smith joined with single in Sri Lanka
Updated . First published
An elite club
To score one Test run is an achievement in itself, given just how hard it is to reach the pinnacle of the sport.
Now imagine scoring 10,000 of them.
For a rare crop of talent, that record was met during their careers and now one of Australia's favourite sons is knocking on the door to join them.
After being stranded on 9999 runs after the 2024-25 summer series against India, Steve Smith's single in Sri Lanka saw him join four other Aussies and some of the biggest names in cricket in the elite club of batters.
Let's take a look at the other Test players who have reached the milestone.
Sachin Tendulkar - India
15,921 runs @ 53.78, 51 centuries
India's favourite son and one of the most beloved cricketers of all time, Tendulkar still holds the record for the most runs in Test history and it really doesn't look like it will be broken any time soon.
"The Little Master" is also the only player ever to record 50 centuries at Test level and he amassed another 49 in ODIs.
Arguably the greatest batter to ever step foot on a cricket pitch.
Ricky Ponting - Australia
13,378 runs @ 51.85, 41 centuries
As tough as nails with the most damaging pull shot you will ever see in his prime, Ponting was a dominant figure for Australia during a fruitful period in red-ball cricket.
The right-hander led the side through the 2000s and so often found a way to stand up when his team needed him most.
Still has the most runs of any Aussie player in Test history and it appears unlikely that record will be broken any time soon.
Jacques Kallis - South Africa
13,289 runs @ 55.37, 45 centuries
Sits second behind Tendulkar for the most tons in Test history and was a force to be reckoned with for the Proteas.
Kallis is the greatest all-rounder to ever play the game - at least from a statistical standpoint - taking just shy of 300 wickets to go with his incredible work with the bat.
Rahul Dravid - India
13,288 runs @ 52.31, 36 centuries
Known worldwide for his staunch defensive play, Dravid may have played second-fiddle to Tendulkar for a large portion of his career but his record is up there with the all-time greats.
"The Wall" punished bowling attacks in methodical fashion and was a true embodiment of Test match cricket.
Joe Root* - England
12,972 runs @ 50,87, 36 centuries*
Still plying his trade for England and seemingly getting better with age, Root has dominated at Test level in recent years and has reinvented his game.
Root has been near-unstoppable since the COVID pandemic, which coincided with him relinquishing the captaincy.
Will go down as perhaps England's greatest-ever batter.
Alastair Cook - England
12,472 runs @ 45.35, 33 centuries
Just behind Root - although that margin will only widen over time - was the elegant and classy Englishman.
Cook is one of just two specialist openers to grace this list and on his day, could grind down opposition attacks like few other in the history of Test cricket.
His exploits during the 2010/11 Ashes series in Australia were the stuff of legend, helping England win the series.
Kumar Sangakarra - Sri Lanka
12,400 runs @ 57.40, 38 centuries
One of the greats of the modern era, Sangakarra was an absolute star in all formats for Sri Lanka during a glittering international career.
He remains the highest run-scorer in both Test and ODI cricket for the country and there's very little chance that record is broken any time soon.
To go with his enormous runs tally, Sangakarra also had more than 200 wicket-keeping dismissals in Tests.
Brian Lara - West Indies
11,953 runs @ 52.88, 34 centuries
While he is a little further down this list, many would argue that Lara is the most talented batter of all time.
The fan-favourite was the king of West Indies cricket during their heyday and is beloved by fans across the globe.
Lara also holds the record for both highest Test score (400*) and highest first-class score (501*) in the history of the game.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul - West Indies
11,867 runs @ 51.37, 30 centuries
Just behind long-time teammate Lara is the great Chanderpaul, who played at the highest level for more than two decades.
The brilliant left-hander was an integral part of the West Indies side throughout his career and his son Tagenarine is now part of the Test squad.
