"Greatest Test batsman of the modern era" - Fans react to Steve Smith's spectacular knock on Day 1 of 2nd Ashes 2023 Test

Australian batter Steve Smith shone with the bat on Day 1 of his team's ongoing second Test of the Ashes 2023 series, against England at the Lord's in London.

Smith put his team in a commanding position. Dealing with conditions that were assisting England's seamers, he first stitched together an impressive 102-run partnership alongside Marnus Labuschagne for the third wicket.

While Labuschagne departed after a well-made 47, the Australian vice-captain continued accumulating crucial runs. He then put on 118 runs for the fourth wicket with the in-form Travis Head.

Australia finished with 339/5 at stumps on the opening day after being asked to bat first. Smith remained unbeaten on 85 off 149 balls and now has a significant chance of slamming a memorable century on Day 2.

A number of fans took to social media, lauding Smith for his wonderful batting exploits. Here are some of the best reactions on Twitter:

Steve Smith becomes the second-fastest batter to reach 9,000 runs in Tests

During his unbeaten knock of 85 runs, Steve Smith crossed the 9,000-run mark in Test cricket. He reached the landmark in 174 innings, becoming the second-fastest to do so.

Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara, who achieved the feat in 172 innings, is the fastest player to score 9,000 runs in the longest format. Smith reached the milestone in the 41st over of Day 1 in the second Ashes Test.

It is worth mentioning that Smith also completed 15,000 runs in international cricket. At the end of the day's play, the batter's tally of runs stood at 9,054. He is the ninth Australian batter to score over 15,000 runs in international cricket.

The 34-year-old wasn't able to make a significant impact in the opening encounter of the Ashes series, bagging scores of 16 and 16 at Edgbaston. However, he made amends by delivering a brilliant knock at Lord's.

Pat Cummins and Co. currently lead the five-match series 1-0, thanks to their thrilling two-wicket victory in the first fixture.

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