Former Australian national cricket team opener David Warner has backed modern-day great batsman Steve Smith to shine when he takes on the England national cricket team in the upcoming 2025-26 Ashes series.
David Warner says Ben Stokes’ England will be in big trouble if Steve Smith scores a run with the bat in the high-voltage Test series.
Steve Smith smashes brilliant century
Arch-rivals England and Australia are preparing for the Ashes series, which begins in November. The first match will be held at Optus Stadium in Perth from November 21-25, with the second Test at The Gabba in Brisbane from December 4-8.
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The third Test will be held at Adelaide Oval from 17 to 21 December, while the fourth Test will be held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) from 26 to 30 December. The 5th Test will also be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) from 4 to 8 January 2026.
Steve Smith is set to lead the Australians in the first Test series as Pat Cummins has been ruled out of the match as he continues to recover from injury.
Before the series, Smith will play in a Sheffield Shield match in New South Wales to prepare for a challenging series.
In his first match in more than two months, he looked jittery at first, but quickly returned to his best form and capped off a sensational century. He scored 118 points for New South Wales against Queensland, giving England a huge warning.
It will be difficult for England if Smith gets into shape and starts scoring goals – David Warner
Speaking on Fox Cricket on Wednesday, manager David Warner said Australia will be relying heavily on Steve Smith in this series, but if he scores consistently they should be fine.
“If that Steve Smith can score the big runs (this summer), they’ll be fine. If Smith gets going and he starts scoring runs, it’s going to be a challenge for England.”
David Warner also supported Steve Smith’s five tons in the Ashes and did not hesitate to say he is only second to Don Bradman in the list of Australia’s greatest batsmen. he said:
“I think he’s got five centuries. The other day he only got one (net session), but today he came out and scored 100. That’s Steve Smith.”
What he lacks is to win in India – David Warner
Warner further said that the only thing Smith has not achieved in his legendary career is winning a Test series in India, and he may be looking forward to achieving that. he said:
“What he lacks is to win in India. He knows his body now, he knows his capabilities. If he wants to play in the India series, he will.”
“He’s still learning. If he’s still learning, God help everyone else,” Warner further stated.
Meanwhile, former India head coach Ravi Shastri said he was also amazed by Smith’s adaptability. he said:
“What always surprises me about Steve…is his ability to adapt to different situations and improvise, even in the middle of a series, sometimes even in the middle of an innings. (Captainship) is going to get the best out of him, that’s for sure. He’s definitely going to get noticed.”
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