Sri Lanka sweep would push Australia closer to greatness: Lyon
MELBOURNE : Australia are not yet a great team but completing a series sweep in Sri Lanka would push them closer, according to spin bowler Nathan Lyon.
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MELBOURNE : Australia are not yet a great team but completing a series sweep in Sri Lanka would push them closer, according to spin bowler Nathan Lyon.
For former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, it is hard to argue against Steve Smith deserving to be considered the finest player of his generation on numbers alone. On the opening day of the first Test between Australia and Sri Lanka, Smith soared to new heights in Test format with a flick of mid-on from spinner Prabath Jayasuriya minutes before lunch. He broke off in a sprint to complete a single and 10,000 Test runs, joining the exclusive ranks featuring Australian elites Ponting, Allan Border and Steve Waugh to complete the feat.
Steve Smith stood unbeaten on 104 after crossing 10,000 Test runs and helped Australia pummel Sri Lanka alongside fellow centurion Usman Khawaja on day one of the opening Test on Wednesday. Australia reached 330-2 in 81.1 overs when rain stopped play for the day after the tourists elected to bat first in Galle at the start of the two-match series. Left-handed opener Khawaja, on 147, and skipper Smith put on an unbeaten stand of 195 to thwart the opposition attack in two wicketless afternoon sessions.
After becoming only the fourth Australian to cross the 10,000-run mark in Test cricket on day one of the Galle Test against Sri Lanka, Steve Smith felt “nice to tick that off” with a flick wide of mid-on off Prabath Jayasuriya. Smith joined legends Ricky Ponting, Allan Border, and Steve Waugh in this elite club, achieving the milestone in just 205 innings – the fifth-fastest in Test history. “Nice to tick that off,” Smith told official broadcaster Channel Seven at the stroke of lunch.
Former Australian Test captain Tim Paine has shared his thoughts on Steve Smith's debut and rapid ascent to becoming one of the nation's greatest cricketers, ahead of Smith's milestone of 10,000 runs. Paine also believes Smith still has much more to contribute to the sport. Paine made his Australian debut alongside Smith in 2010 at Lord's against Pakistan. Smith, initially chosen as a bowling all-rounder, scored 1 and 12 in his debut Test, batting at number 8. Paine said everyone expected him to be just a leg spinner with the ability to bat competently at number 8 or 9, but no one thought he would define a generation of cricket.
Veteran batter Steve Smith completed his 10,000 Test run with his first scoring shot on day 1 of the first Test against Sri Lanka here at Galle International Stadium on Wednesday. The stand-in skipper became the fourth Australian man to reach a rare milestone and the overall 15th man to achieve the feat. The 35-year-old joined Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting as Australians to get to 10,000 Test runs. Interestingly, all three were captains of the Test team when they made their 10,000th run.
New Zealand all-rounder Jimmy Neesham was involved in a bizarre incident during a T20 tournament in South Africa on January 25. Neesham dropped regulation catch of England batter Joe Root, who has been in great form in the tournament so far. The incident happened on the final delivery of the fifth over of the first innings, after Root tried to pull Australia pacer Jason Behrendorff over deep square leg. However, Root did not get the desired elevation as Neesham, who was deployed at midwicket, ran towards his right and pouched the ball.
Australian batter Steve Smith opened up on missing 10,000 Test runs milestone by a single run following his dismissal during the fifth and final Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test against India, saying that though it hurt him a little, getting the desired result in the match and series was important. Smith had a solid Border-Gavaskar Trophy with the bat despite two disappointing games to start things off. Smith scored two centuries reminding fans and selectors that he is still every bit an elite Test batter, but missed out on an important milestone of 10,000 Test runs after being dismissed for four by Prasidh Krishna in his final inning of the series at home ground of Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).