When Steve Smith strode out to the SCG on day two, the expectation was he'd score 38 runs and, as such, become the 15th man to score 10,000 Test runs. Happy days.
In the media centre at the SCG, preparation was underway to fire up the copy for a momentous occasion.
But he fell on 33. There were gasps and hands on heads as he nicked off to KL Rahul in the slips.
AS IT HAPPENED: Australia vs India fifth Test, day three
Then on day three, he just needed 5.
Surely it couldn't happen again.
Sitting on four runs, Smith's shuffled forward and across. Prasidh Krishna shortened him up and the extra bounce did the rest. Smith was caught in the gully and the dream of doing it on his home ground was over.
Prasidh Krishna celebrates dismissing Steve Smith. Getty
He looked at the pitch in disgust as Krishna celebrated in his face.
Steve Smith. The man who's battled suspensions and form slumps to only make us happy and satisfied time and again. But this man is stuck on 9,999 Test runs.
Post-match, Pat Cummins believed the frustration from Smith was to do with the match situation more than his individual accolade.
"The nervous 9990s," Pat Cummins laughed in his post-match press conference.
"I think he wanted to win the game … I think we all knew what we were playing for and how big it was so I dare say more so the moment of wanting to be the match-winner and be there at the end and not get the opportunity (was the reason behind his disappointment) more so than the personal milestone.
"It would've been nice for him to get it at the SCG."
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Smith joins Brian Lara and Mahela Jayawardene in the club of players to lose their wicket after reaching 9,990 runs.
Lara's fall came during the third Test against England in August 2004.
It was in the first innings that Lara was sitting on 9,993 runs but he was out for a duck, bowled by Andrew Flintoff. In the Test prior, he reached 13 during the second innings but was caught by Flintoff from the bowling of Ashley Giles.
Brian Lara after he was bowled by Andrew Flintoff. Â Getty
Eventually, in the second innings of the third Test, he scored 7 and became the fastest batter to reach 10,000 runs after his 195th innings. That achievement was 17 innings' quicker than Sunil Gavaskar.
For Jayawardene, he also fell on 9,999 runs against South Africa in 2011.
The Sri Lankan legend's wicket was a disaster.
Jayawardene prodded at a short ball and tried desperately to get his one run.
One of the greatest ever cricketers, Jacques Kallis, happened to pick the ball up and it was a direct hit.
Mahela Jayawardene is run out by Jacques Kallis. Â Getty
Jayawardene was gone for 15 and the dream was over… until the next Test anyway.