Steve Smith believes the upcoming Ashes will be a riveting contest, largely because England appear to have evolved into a more results-oriented side.
The term Bazball has generally been associated with England's shift towards scoring faster, Smith has observed a noticeable shift: he feels the England Test team is now more focused on winning, rather than trying to be "entertainers".
Speaking to theBBC Sport ahead of his stint with Welsh Fire in The Hundred, Smith pointed to England’s ability to adapt their approach across different conditions during the ongoing series against India. He cited the third Test at Lord’s, where the hosts scored at just over three runs an over in both innings, a significant departure from their usual frenetic scoring. That measured tempo proved crucial in their narrow 22-run win, which gave them a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
The fourth Test in Manchester, however, saw England revert to a more attacking style, racing to 225-2 at nearly five runs per over by stumps on Day 2. According to Smith, this flexibility to put their guard down or accelerate as the situation demands is what makes England especially dangerous.
“They’re actually trying to win games now, which is perhaps different to what was said in their comments previously,” he remarked.
"They have started to play a little bit differently in the last couple of weeks in terms of playing the situation, as opposed to going out and trying to be the entertainers that they said they wanted to be."
In the current series, England’s batters have averaged close to 41 runs per wicket. The Dukes ball, traditionally known for aiding bowlers, has come under scrutiny for its ineffectiveness as well, with constant complaints from both teams about the ball losing its shape much earlier than expected. It has further tilted the balance in favour of the batters. The wickets have also been flatter, making run-scoring relatively easier.
Smith acknowledged England’s recent dominance at home but also issued a word of caution ahead of the Ashes later this year. “Their batters are going to be challenged a little bit differently to the wickets they have had over in England for a while, which have looked pretty flat and good for batting.
"The wickets in Australia in the last three or four years have been very tricky for top order batters. It is going to be a good challenge for them. But it's going to be a wonderful series," he said. "I have been watching the India and England series and there has been some great cricket played there, so I think the Ashes this year is going to be an absolute belter."
England last won an Ashes series in 2015, and are yet to win one Down Under since the 2010-11 tour. They have not won a game in Australia since losing 13 in this period.
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