Record for Most Runs in the Asian Subcontinent
Former Australian captain Ponting previously held the record for the most runs scored in the Asian subcontinent. Ponting scored 1889 runs in 48 innings at an average of 41.97. Steve Smith needed only 27 runs to surpass Ponting and achieved this feat in Australia’s first innings of the second Test. Notably, on the first day of this match, he became the Australian Test cricketer with the most catches (non-wicketkeeper), surpassing Ponting in this record as well.
Smith Says: “I’ve Always Enjoyed Playing Spin in the Subcontinent”
On the first day of the match, Steve Smith stated, “I’ve always enjoyed playing spin in the subcontinent. It’s different from playing spin at home. You have to adopt different methods to score and survive, especially when the wickets are very challenging.” Before this series, Smith had only been part of one series win in the Asian subcontinent, which was against Pakistan in 2022.