Star Australia batter Steve Smith opened up on missing out on the 10000-run milestone in Test cricket, saying that he was thinking too much about it.

Smith needed 38 runs to complete the landmark in the fifth Test against India in Sydney. However, he ended up missing the magical figure by just one run after scoring 37 runs across two innings in the game.

Recently, the star batter admitted that the landmark was playing on his mind due to too much media scrutiny on it. As a result .Smith mentioned that he usually doesn't think too much about milestones but with 10000 being a major number, it played on his mind.

"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 said on radio talkshow SEN 1170 Breakfast.

Furthermore, Smith revealed how he kept his teammate Josh Hazlewood's shirt number in mind, which is also 38, before going to sleep every night ahead of the game.

"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?" joked Smith.

The former Australia captain . but said that he would like to tick it off in the upcoming first Test vs Sri Lanka.

We were able to win that game in the end, so it didn't really matter: Smith

"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. I'd love to tick it off on the first day in Galle. 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," he said.

Smith will become the fourth Australian and 15th overall batter to complete the 10000-run mark. Before him, Allan Border (11,174 runs), Steve Waugh (10,927 runs) and Ricky Ponting (13,378 runs) have completed the milestone for Australia. Smith will be eager to get the monkey off his back in the first Test against Sri Lanka beginning from January 29.