Live Update: Steve Smith surpasses Steve Waugh to become Australia’s third highest runscorer. Steve Smith surpassed Steve Waugh’s career Test tally of 10,927 in the first SA vs AUS Test on October 9, 2026 at Kingsmead, Durban.
Steve Smith surpasses Steve Waugh to become Australia’s third-highest Test runs-scorer (Photo by Will Russell – CA/Cricket Australia via ) On October 9, 2026, Steve Smith further etched his name in Australian cricket history by surpassing Steve Waugh’s career Test tally of 10,927 to become his country’s third-highest runs-scorer in the format. The milestone came on the opening day of the first SA vs AUS Test at Kingsmead Stadium in Durban and cemented Smith’s position among the greats of Australian batting. Smith contributed 25 runs in Australia’s first innings before Marco Jansen dismissed him shortly after the lunch break on the first day.
These 25 runs were enough to surpass Waugh’s long-standing mark, which ranked third in Australia’s all-time Test scores list for more than two decades. The player Smith overtook, Steve Waugh, retired from Test cricket after scoring 10,927 runs in 168 games at an average of 51.06, a record that reflects the sustained excellence that Smith has now surpassed. How did Smith’s innings go on the day he reached this milestone?
Smith’s score of 25 was part of a difficult batting performance for Australia on day one at Kingsmead. His most productive innings came alongside Marnus Labuschagne, with the duo combining for 60 runs before Labuschagne departed for 37. The stand gave Australia the most consistent period of resistance in the first innings.
Jansen ended Smith’s stay on the field shortly after lunch and dismissed him with a penalty of 25. The dismissal came during a difficult session for the touring team, although Smith had already done enough to secure his place in the record books before leaving the field. Where does Smith now rank in Australia’s all-time Test scores list?
With Waugh’s success, Smith is now third on Australia’s all-time goalscoring list. Allan Border is second on the list with 11,174 runs, while Ricky Ponting remains at the top with 13,378 runs, a total that sets the benchmark for all subsequent Australian batters. Smith’s Test career began when he represented Australia against Pakistan at Lord’s in July 2010 and he has accumulated his runs in the format over a period of over 15 years.
The difference between his current points total and second-placed Border’s total, as well as the distance from Ponting’s record, will determine the goals Smith has ahead of him as his career progresses. The milestone underlines the consistency with which Smith has performed at Test level over a sustained period and places him in a group of only three Australians to have amassed 10,927 runs in the format.
