Steve Smith played was brilliant with bat during the World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord’s, London on Wednesday (June 11). The Australian registered a series of significant milestones on Day 1 of the Test against South Africa.
Steve Smith on Day 1 of the WTC final
Steve Smith played a 66-run knock off 112 deliveries on Day 1 and helped to stabilize Australia’s innings. The star batter surpassed cricketing greats like Sachin Tendulkar, Don Bradman, and Ajinkya Rahane in various record categories.
Here’s a detailed look at Smith’s performance and the different feats achieved
Steve Smith’s fifty-plus scores in ICC Knockouts
Steve Smith smashed fifty in the WTC final and registered his 7th fifty-plus score in ICC knockout matches. He surpassed Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar’s tally of six. While Smith now leads Tendulkar in fifty-plus scores, he trails India’s Virat Kohli, who dominates ICC knockouts.
Most 50+ scores in ICC Knockouts
Virat Kohli: 1,024 runs in 22 matches, 1 century, 9 fifties.
Steve Smith: 650 runs in 13 matches, 2 centuries, 5 fifties.
Sachin Tendulkar: 682 runs in 15 matches, 1 century, 5 fifties.
Leading run-getter
Steve Smith scored 66 runs in the final and became the leading run-getter among visiting batters in Test matches at Lord’s. He surpassed Australian great Warren Bardsley to top the list. His record at the iconic venue includes three fifties and two centuries, with a career-best 215 during the 2015 Ashes.
List of top run-scorers at Lord’s among visiting batters
Steve Smith (Australia): 591 runs in 10 innings
Warren Bardsley (Australia): 575 runs in 7 innings
Garry Sobers (West Indies): 571 runs in 9 innings
Don Bradman (Australia): 551 runs in 8 innings
Shivnarine Chanderpaul (West Indies): 512 runs in 9 innings
Leading the WTC Final run tally
Steve Smith moved past India’s Ajinkya Rahane to become the leading run-scorer in WTC final history. His second fifty-plus score in WTC finals, achieved off just 74 deliveries, highlights his consistency in the format.
The top run-scorers in the WTC finals
Steve Smith (Australia): 201 runs in 3 innings
Ajinkya Rahane (India): 199 runs in 4 innings
Travis Head (Australia): 192 runs in 3 innings
Rohit Sharma (India): 122 runs in 4 innings
Virat Kohli (India): 120 runs in 4 innings
South Africa vs Australia WTC final
South Africa’s decision to bowl first went in their favour as Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen, dismantled the Australian batting line-up. The Kangaroos were struggling at 67/4 in the opening session. However, Smith came to bat and anchored the innings to contribute significant runs in the total of 212.
His innings ended when part-time spinner Aiden Markram dismissed him for 66.
Most WTC final appearances
Steve Smith has equaled Ricky Ponting’s record for the most ICC tournament final appearances, reaching his sixth final.
Smith’s ICC final appearances include the 2010 T20 World Cup, 2015 ODI World Cup, 2021 T20 World Cup, 2023 World Test Championship, 2023 ODI World Cup, and the ongoing 2025 WTC Final.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma lead with nine appearances each, followed by Ravindra Jadeja with eight and Yuvraj Singh with seven. Smith, a former leg-spinner turned elite batter, has won four of his five previous ICC finals.
