Steve Smith is the only active player who has the most runs in The Ashes rivalry between Australia and England. Test Cricket is considered the ultimate format of the game that tests the cricketing skills, temperament, determination, and mental and physical strengths of players. The Ashes is a test series between Australia and England that witnesses the best batting masterclasses by specialist batters.
The top five run-getters in Ashes have four Australian cricketers and one English cricketer who have retired long back. Interestingly, all four Aussie cricketers are from New South Wales and have led Australia at some point in their careers. Among them, Steve Smith is a modern-day cricketing genius who has become the Australian batting’s mainstay. He has amassed 3,044 runs in 56 innings against arch-rivals, England.
The Sydney-based batter has played 32 Tests against England, and he ranks fifth in all-time best batting performances in the coveted series. He averages close to 60 with 11 centuries and as many half-centuries for Australia. Smith’s best test score of 239 came during the Perth Test in 2017. He displayed one of the best test batting masterclasses ever during his last visit to England for Ashes after Cricket World Cup 2019. His 774 runs in just seven innings put Smith in the fifth position of most runs scored in a single Ashes.
However, during the last Ashes series at his home, Smith had an average time with the bat. Therefore, he is more keen and hungry this time to score the bulk of runs. His current form suggests he can achieve that landmark again. Smith lives and breathes Test batting, and he’s a class apart, who still instills fear in bowlers’ minds, even after a 13-year-old career.
The long and rich history of Ashes serves as a great amount of respect between these two fierce rivals and their competitiveness on the field makes it even more intense. The batting display of these masterclass performers is etched into our memories, and their performances continue to inspire the budding cricketers to wear the test cap and represent their respective countries in whites.
