Melbourne, May 31 : Australian captain Ricky Ponting has become the seventh batsman to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket after reaching the milestone on the opening day of the second Test against the West Indies at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.
According to a Fox Sports report, Ponting passed the mark with his 61st run after tea to be the third quickest player to 10,000.
West Indian great Brain Lara and India's Sachin Tendulkar both reached the magical five figures in their 195th inning, with Ponting achieved the mark in his 196th.
He is the third Australian to pass 10,000, following Allan Border and Steve Waugh, and the second player in the world this year after India's Rahul Dravid, who reached the mark in March.
Former Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar was the first player to reach 10,000 runs in 1987.
Ponting, who has also scored over 11,000 runs in one-day international cricket, is playing his 118th Test and averages close to 60 with the bat.