Daijiworld Media Network – London

London, Jun 11: Australia’s star batter Steve Smith etched his name in the history books yet again, becoming the highest run-scorer by a visiting batter in Test matches at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground. The milestone came on Day One of the World Test Championship (WTC) final against South Africa, where Smith struck a composed 66 off 112 balls, studded with ten boundaries.

With his latest knock, the 36-year-old surpassed the legendary Warren Bardsley’s tally of 575 runs and overtook cricket greats Don Bradman (551) and Gary Sobers (571). Smith’s tally at Lord’s now stands at 591 runs, making him the first non-English batter in 141 years to cross the 590-run mark at the 'Home of Cricket'.

Before this Test, Smith had already delivered three fifties and two centuries at Lord’s, with his highest being a brilliant 215 during the Ashes in 2015.

Coming in at a critical juncture after Australia was reduced to 67/4 at lunch by South African pacers Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen, Smith stabilized the innings. He shared a crucial 79-run stand with Beau Webster before falling to Aiden Markram.

Smith’s fifty not only rescued Australia but also marked his fourth century-plus score and a fifty in his last six Test outings, underlining his current rich form. He also became the only batter to register multiple fifty-plus scores in WTC finals.

Additionally, Smith broke another record by registering the most fifty-plus scores in Test matches on English soil by a non-English player. He now holds 18 such scores, going past legends Allan Border and Viv Richards, who had 17 each.

With their batting spearhead once again leading from the front, Australia aim to retain the WTC mace they clinched two years ago by defeating India.