Steve Smith surpasses Bradman and Sobers, edges past Tendulkar, but Kohli's record remains untouched

On a day when 14 wickets fell at Lord’s, Steve Smith once again proved why he’s one of the modern greats of Test cricket. In the World Test Championship (WTC) final clash between Australia and South Africa, as bowlers dominated and wickets tumbled, Smith stood tall amidst the chaos.

Walking in at a precarious 16/2, Smith calmly absorbed the pressure and scored a gritty 66 off 112 balls, laced with 10 boundaries. It was a typical Smith innings—full of composure, class, and control—just when his team needed it most.

More than just another crucial knock, this innings saw Smith climb to the top of a prestigious list. With this effort, the 36-year-old became the highest run-scorer among overseas batters at Lord’s, surpassing cricketing legends like Sir Donald Bradman, Sir Garfield Sobers, and Warren Bardsley. He now has 591 runs at the iconic venue from six matches and 10 innings, averaging an impressive 59.10 with two centuries and three fifties. His best at Lord’s remains that towering 215.

Before the match, Smith was fourth on the list. By the time he was dismissed—caught off part-time spinner Aiden Markram—he had moved past:

Warren Bardsley (575 runs in 5 matches)

Sir Garfield Sobers (571 runs in 5 matches)

Sir Donald Bradman (551 runs in 4 matches)

Speaking after play, Smith was candid—and a little humorous—about his dismissal.

“Don’t nick the part-time off-spinner. Down the slope. I’m still trying to fathom how I’ve done that,” he quipped.

Smith’s knock was all the more crucial given Australia’s rocky start. South Africa, led by Temba Bavuma, opted to bowl first and had the Aussies reeling at 67/4. But Smith found support in young all-rounder Beau Webster. Together, they stitched a 79-run partnership for the fifth wicket before both fell in quick succession.

In total, Australia managed 212, with Kagiso Rabada leading South Africa’s attack, picking up a brilliant 5 for 51. Marco Jansen chipped in with three wickets, ripping through the tail.

Despite the modest total, Australia hit back hard with the ball. By stumps, the pace trio of Mitchell Starc (2/10), Josh Hazlewood (1/10), and Pat Cummins (1/14) had South Africa on the ropes at 43/4—still trailing by 169 runs.

There was another milestone for Smith. His half-century was his seventh fifty-plus score in ICC tournament knockout matches, taking him past Sachin Tendulkar, who had six such scores. Only Virat Kohli is ahead of him now, with 10 fifty-plus scores and over 1,000 runs in ICC knockout matches.

As the pitch begins to show signs of variable bounce and dryness, Smith predicted that spin could play a larger role as the match progresses.

“Just play what’s in front of us,” he said. “It might take a bit more spin as the game wears on... the bounce is going to be variable throughout.”

Day 1 at Lord’s belonged to the bowlers, but as often happens, it was Steve Smith’s calm mastery with the bat that stood out in the storm.