Going to be exceptionally hard: Smith fires warning to England before Ashes opener

Brisbane [Gabba], October 28 (ANI): Steve Smith, who will serve as Australia's captain in the absence of Pat Cummins during the first Ashes Test in Perth, has warned England's 'Bazballers' that scoring runs will be a "tricky" affair on surfaces down under.

Cricket Australia on Monday confirmed that designated skipper Cummins will miss the opening Test due to a lumbar bone stress injury in his back. During the buildup to the oldest cricketing rivalry, scheduled to begin on November 21, shots have been fired from both sides.

Smith, Australia's talismanic batter, cautioned their arch-rival, declaring that the Ben Stokes-led side will be greeted with green-top pitches, unlike the lifeless pitches in England.

"The conditions are going to be different here in Australia, aren't they?' I think the last three or four years have probably been as challenging for batters as we have seen for a long time, particularly the top order," Smith told reporters at the Gabba as quoted from Fox Cricket.

"So in those conditions, the bowlers are very experienced and very good, and it's going to make it hard work for the batters. It is going to be tricky for all batters, but when you are trying to get after it, it's going to be exceptionally hard," Smith added.

Over the past four years, Australia has moved heavily towards seam-bowling pitches compared to the previous decade. The top seven batters have averaged 30.22 per dismissal in Test matches in Australia since the beginning of the 2021-22 Ashes, combining for 24 tons in 20 Tests.

In contrast, since the 'Bazball' era began in 2022, batters have averaged 38.94. While the art of scoring runs has slumped in Australia, Head has thrived, averaging 54.64 with six centuries, striking at 88.90 in home conditions. Australia's destructive opener, Travis Head, could be the key to dismantling England's pace attack.

Compared to Head, no other player has averaged more than 45.29 in Australia in the same period. While Head has found a formula for success, the same hasn't been the case for the rest of the Baggy Greens stars. Smith boasts an average of 45.26 across the last four home summers, compared to 63.20 in Australia across the first 10 years of his career. (ANI)

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