Smith joins 11,000 club with stronger numbers than Root
Australia's Steve Smith needed 12 fewer innings than England's Joe Root to reach the same Test milestone, and he got there with a higher average.
Steve Smith brought up 11,000 Test runs on the fourth day of the second Test against South Africa at St George's Park in Gqeberha. The Australian started the match needing 28 and made precisely that many in the first innings before Wiaan Mulder bowled him, putting him in an exclusive group of batters to pass the mark.
Smith got there in 127 matches and 226 innings, with an average of 55.55, 37 hundreds and 45 fifties. Root, by contrast, crossed 11,000 during a Test against Ireland in June 2023, doing so in 130 matches and 238 innings at 50.24 with 29 centuries and 58 half-centuries. That means Smith required 12 fewer innings to reach the landmark.
Measured in calendar time from debut, Root was quicker. The Englishman debuted in December 2012 and needed 10 years and 172 days, while Smith, who first appeared in July 2010, took 16 years and 101 days. Their averages at the point of reaching 11,000 also tell a story, with Smith on 55.55 against Root's 50.24.
Smith's highest score remains 239, made against England at the WACA in Perth during the 2017-18 Ashes.