Australia’s batting mainstay Steve Smith, who fell one short of the elusive 10,000-run mark in Test cricket during the Border-Gavaskar series, described the milestone as a “different beast” while revealing that the pressure of nearing the landmark affected him significantly during the fifth and final Test against India at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Smith needed 38 runs to achieve the landmark but managed 37 during the game that Australia won by six wickets to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after more than a decade.

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“I don’t read too much into stats and stuff, but, 10,000 is a bit of a different beast. It probably was (on my mind), to be honest. Normally I sort of don’t buy into any of that stuff, but pre-game, I was doing lots of media because I was approaching that mark,” Smith told ‘SEN 1170 Breakfast’.

The ‘number 38’ played on his mind in such a way that Smith joked he would forever associate it with Josh Hazlewood, whose jersey number is 38.

“I knew I needed 38, and all I could actually picture trying to sleep at night was the back of Josh Hazlewood’s shirt because he’s number 38 (laughs). It’s strange like that, isn’t it?

“It was probably playing on my mind more than any other game that I’ve played, to be honest. But, it is what it is, fortunately, we were able to win that game in the end, so it didn’t really matter,” he said.

Australia will next tour Sri Lanka for a two-match Test series beginning in Galle on January 29 and Smith hopes to do it on day one of the series itself if Australia get to bat first.

“It would have been great to have been able to do it in Sydney in front of all my friends and family because you’re joining a pretty elite group there I suppose, but it wasn’t to be,” said the Sydney cricketer.

“As a kid, I never would have dreamt of that, I dreamt to play cricket for Australia and have a career playing for Australia, but to have been able to get to this mark, it’s a dream come true in a way,” he added.

Smith would become the 15th overall and only fourth Australian Test player after Ricky Ponting, Allan Border and Steve Waugh to achieve the landmark.