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Australia opener Usman Khawaja scored his maiden double century in the longest format of the game during the first session of the second day of the ongoing first Test against Sri Lanka at the Galle International Stadium on Thursday.
Khawaja completed his double hundred just before lunch on Day 2 of the Galle Test match. The left-hand batter played an exceptional innings of 232 runs from 352 balls which was laced with 16 boundaries and one maximum. With this innings, Khawaja slammed his highesh score in the Test history surpassing his previous best score of unbeaten 195 runs which came against South Africa at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 2023. The 38-year-old player also broke Justin Langer's record of scoring most runs in Sri Lanka as an Australian batter which was 166 at Colombo in 2004. The southpaw registered one more record along with stand in skipper Steve Smith as both players went on to register the highest third-wicket partnership for the Baggy Greens on Asian soil. Both of them broke 46-year long record which was registered by Allan Border & Kim Hughes which was 222 runs against India at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium at Chennai back in 1979. Smith went back to the pavillion after playing a magnificent innings of 141 runs in 251 balls which included 12 fours and two sixes in his innings. Earlier on Wednesday, Smith made history by scoring his 35th Test century and also becoming only the fourth Australian batter to touch the 10,000 run mark in Tests. He achieved this during the first Test against Sri Lanka at Galle. Reaching the 10,000 Test run mark is a memorable chapter of Smith's illustrious Test career, during which he has displayed determination and consistency. In 115 Tests and 205 innings, Smith has scored 10,140 runs at an average of 56.33. He has scored 35 centuries and 41 fifties, with the best score of 239. He is the fourth Australian after Ricky Ponting (13,378), Allan Border (11,174) and Steve Waugh (10,927) to reach the 10,000 run mark and overall 15th player ever. With 35 Test centuries, Smith has overtaken the likes of Younis Khan (Pakistan), Brian Lara (West Indies), Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka) and Sunil Gavaskar (India), who all have 34 Tests each. In the ongoing ICC World Test Championship, Smith has scored 1193 runs at an average of 38.48, with four centuries and four fifties in 34 innings. His best score is 140. He is the sixth-highest run-getter so far in the competition and is second Australian after Khawaja. (ANI)
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