Sydney, Jan 14: Star Australian batter Steve Smith has described the elusive 10,000-run mark in Tests as a “different beast” after falling just one run short of touching it at his home ground of Sydney in the fifth and final game against India during which the milestone weighed heavily on his mind.
Smith needed 38 runs to achieve the landmark but managed 37 during the game that Australia won by six wickets to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after more than a decade.
“I don’t read too much into stats and stuff, but, 10,000 is a bit of a different beast,” Smith told ‘SEN 1170 Breakfast’.
‘It probably was (on my mind), to be honest. Normally I sort of don’t buy into any of that stuff, but pre-game, I was doing lots of media because I was approaching that mark.” The ‘number 38’ played on his mind in such a way that Smith joked he would forever associate it with Josh Hazlewood, whose jersey number is 38.
“I knew I needed 38, and all I could actually picture trying to sleep at night was the back of Josh Hazlewood’s shirt because he’s number 38 (laughs). It’s strange like that, isn’t it? “It was probably playing on my mind more than any other game that I’ve played, to be honest.
“But, it is what it is, fortunately, we were able to win that game in the end, so it didn’t really matter,” he said.
“I don’t read too much into stats and stuff, but, 10,000 is a bit of a different beast,” Smith told ‘SEN 1170 Breakfast’.
‘It probably was (on my mind), to be honest. Normally I sort of don’t buy into any of that stuff, but pre-game, I was doing lots of media because I was approaching that mark.” The ‘number 38’ played on his mind in such a way that Smith joked he would forever associate it with Josh Hazlewood, whose jersey number is 38.
“I knew I needed 38, and all I could actually picture trying to sleep at night was the back of Josh Hazlewood’s shirt because he’s number 38 (laughs). It’s strange like that, isn’t it? “It was probably playing on my mind more than any other game that I’ve played, to be honest.
“But, it is what it is, fortunately, we were able to win that game in the end, so it didn’t really matter,” he said. (PTI)
Follow our WhatsApp channel
