Cricket is a game full of stats and if you are good enough to play for a long time the milestones will arrive.
Only 11 players have been good enough to reach the 10,000 Test runs club, with the latest member being welcomed at the MCG on Boxing Day, Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakarra on the first day of the second Test against Australia.
This day is much more than a sporting event - it's a social occasion. Many of the crowd, as well as watching the cricket, enjoy Christmas drinks with old friends they haven't seen for a while.
The 67,000-plus in attendance saw a poor batting display from the Sri Lankans who were dismissed before tea by a fine bowling and fielding performance from Australia.
Tasmania's Jackson Bird became the 431st Test cricketer chosen to play for Australia and his parents flew in for the big day, with his father, who works in the film industry making the trip from Romania.
They were not disappointed as the former Sydneysider claimed two wickets, with his first scalp coming in just his second over.
Mitchell Johnson picked up four wickets and like Sangakkara achieved a milestone of his own, 200 Test wickets.
He became the 14th Australian to get there as he continues to rejuvenate an international career that had stalled for a year due to injury and poor form.
Johnson is inconsistent, but also a match winner and probably needs to be a permanent member of the Australian team.
Fitting all the bowlers in is difficult but with Cricket Australia continuing with their controversial rotation policy there will be plenty of opportunities throughout upcoming Test series for bowlers to get a chance.
Mitchell Starc with consecutive five-wicket hauls in the past two Tests is a certainty to play in Sydney after being told to have a break in Melbourne.
Day one was tough for Sri Lanka. In front of many adoring fans who now call Victoria home - and playing in just their second Boxing Day Test - the tourists have failed to deliver.
Mahela Jayawardene won the toss and elected to bat on a pitch that had plenty of grass, but like most MCG Test wickets was expected to offer something for the bowlers early, before settling down and becoming a pretty reliable batting deck.
However, they lost too many early wickets with Sangakarra watching on forlornly at the other end. He played some beautiful strokes with his signature shot, the cover drive, a real highlight.
When he got to 40, he reached the magical figure of 10,000 Test runs. It's a magnificent achievement and thoroughly deserved.
He has been in many peoples' eyes the best player in the world for several years and now joins his captain in making it to the 10,000 mark.
Although Jayawardene has made 600 runs more than Sangakkarra - on account of playing an extra 22 tests - and Aravinda de Silva was also a brilliant player, the elegant left-hander will likely go down as his country's greatest ever batsman.
But this is a team sport and this outstanding feat is going to be overshadowed by his country's substandard performance.
To be fair, after a poor first hour, their bowlers started showing some fight but lacklustre fielding meant Michael Clarke and Shane Watson remain at the crease and likely to cause more misery on Wednesday.
Tags: cricket, sri-lanka, australia First posted December 26, 2012 18:34:50
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