Steve Smith becomes second-fastest batter to 9000 Test runs
Star Australian batter Steve Smith crossed a significant landmark on day one of the second 2023 Ashes Test at Lord's on Wednesday. The 34-year-old crossed the 9000 Test runs mark and became the second fastest to the milestone after former Sri Lankan skipper Kumar Sangakkara.
Smith achieved the landmark in the 41st over of the innings with a boundary off England captain Ben Stokes. The right-hander flicked one through mid-wicket for a boundary and crossed 9000 Test runs in his 174th innings, while Sangakkara accomplished it in 172 innings.
9000 runs in Test cricket for Steve Smith.
Only Kumar Sangakkara (172 inns) has reached the milestone faster than Smith (174 inns).
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England, meanwhile, won the toss at Lord's and elected to field. Both sides carried one change each for the crucial game. The hosts played an all seam-attack, with Josh Tongue replacing off-spinning all-rounder Moeen Ali from the last game. Australia left out Scott Boland to include left-arm speedster Mitchell Starc.
Amid multiple rain delays, the visitors enjoyed a brilliant start to their innings. Although Usman Khawaja managed only 17 runs, David Warner raised his fifty before Tongue took his second wicket of the innings.
Steve Smith missed out on the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston
Meanwhile, the Aussie vice-captain did not have the desired start to the series as he managed only 22 runs across two innings in the first Test. Stokes pinned him in front of the stumps in the first for 16, while Stuart Broad nicked the former Aussie captain in the second for a single-figure score.
Set 281 to win in the fourth innings, Australia scraped through to a two-wicket victory. Usman Khawaja made a defiant 65, but the visitors slipped to 227-8 at one stage. Skipper Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon shared an unbroken 55-run stand to get their side over the line.
Khawaja, who was named the Player of the Match, made 141 in the first innings and narrowed England's lead to just seven in reply to 393.