Steve Smith makes cricket history in never-before-seen moment
Steve Smith has become the fastest ever player to score 8,000 Test runs after his latest innings against Pakistan in Lahore.
Pakistan require 278 on the fifth and final day in Lahore to claim the Benaud-Qadir Trophy after being set an aggressive target of 351.
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Aussie captain Pat Cummins' bold declaration early in the final session on Thursday at 3-227 left Australia with 120 overs to bowl Pakistan out and win the series 1-0.
While the match hangs in the balance, fans were celebrating Smith's remarkable milestone.
Smith's 17 in the second innings was enough to make history and overtake Kumar Sangakkara's record by one innings.
Cricket legends Sachin Tendulkar and Garry Sobers follow.
The mercurial Aussie broke the record in 151 innings and already held the record for the fastest player to 7,000 runs.
Smith obliterated the record for the fastest Australian with Hayden achieving the feat in 164 innings.
This is Steve Smith's 151st Test innings and he's seven runs away from 8000 runs. If he gets there here, he'll just overtake Kumar Sangakkara as the quickest. #PAKvAUS pic.twitter.com/tBu0jyhhpx
— Adam Collins (@collinsadam) March 24, 2022
The legendary Steve Smith 🙌 pic.twitter.com/f03PJddQ4M
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) March 24, 2022
Steve Smith becomes world record fastest to 8K Test runs, in just 151 inns. Smith broke Sangakkara's 152-inns record as a tribute to India's 151/7 and Pakistan's fantastic 152/0 in the T20I World Cup 2021. Also, Marnus 36 as a tribute to India's 36 allout in a Test inns. #Cricket
— Daniel Alexander (@daniel86cricket) March 24, 2022
Smith has been in solid form of late, but is still searching for that first century since January 2021.
Australia seek first away series victory since 2016
Cummins' bold declaration is a bid for Australia to win its first series overseas since 2016.
The hosts survived for 172 overs to force a draw in the second Test, making 7-443 in the fourth-innings.
Openers Imam-ul-Haq (42 not out) and Abdullah Shafique (27 not out) will resume on Friday at 0-73 as Pakistan attempt to pull off their biggest run-chase on home soil.
If Pakistan are successful, it would comfortably top the 1994 team's effort in scoring 314 against Mark Taylor's Australia in Karachi.
with AAP
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