Galle, Jan. 29 -- For former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, it is hard to argue against Steve Smith deserving to be considered the finest player of his generation on numbers alone.

On the opening day of the first Test between Australia and Sri Lanka, Smith soared to new heights in Test format with a flick of mid-on from spinner Prabath Jayasuriya minutes before lunch.

He broke off in a sprint to complete a single and 10,000 Test runs, joining the exclusive ranks featuring Australian elites Ponting, Allan Border and Steve Waugh to complete the feat.

Smith stood and soaked in the applause coming from the Australian contingent that travelled to Galle. He raised the bat to all corners of the ground to celebrate the landmark moment of his...