Smith became the third Australian to reach the landmark, joining Ricky Ponting and Allan Border during the visitors’ first innings at St George’s Park on Wednesday.

He entered the match needing 28 runs to reach the milestone, having taken his career tally to 10,972 during the opening Test in Durban.

His dismissal brought an end to an innings that had offered Australia some resistance after their top order struggled against South Africa’s pace attack.

Ponting remains Australia’s leading Test run-scorer with 13,378, followed by Border on 11,174. Smith had already overtaken Steve Waugh’s tally of 10,927 during the first Test at Kingsmead.

The achievement came less than two years after Smith reached 10,000 Test runs against Sri Lanka in Galle in January 2025. He was the fourth Australian to pass that mark.

However, his latest milestone came with Australia under pressure. The visitors had slipped to 69-6 at lunch in response to South Africa’s 425-9 declared, with Marco Jansen taking four wickets before the interval.

South Africa’s commanding total was built around captain Temba Bavuma’s career-best 179, supported by Jansen’s 85 and Simon Harmer’s 82.

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