Former Australian national cricket team opener David Warner has backed great modern-day batsman Steve Smith to shine in the upcoming Ashes 2025-26 series against the England national cricket team.
David Warner said that Ben Stokes-led England will be in big trouble if Steve Smith scores runs in the high voltage Test series.
Steve Smith scored a brilliant century
Arch-rivals England and Australia are preparing for the Ashes series, which is scheduled to begin in November. Optus Stadium in Perth will host the first match from 21 to 25 November and the second Test will be played at the Gabba in Brisbane from 4 to 8 December.
The third Test will be held at the Adelaide Oval from 17 to 21 December and the fourth Test will be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) from 26 to 30 December. Furthermore, the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) will host the fifth Test from January 4 to 8, 2026.
Steve Smith is all set to lead the Australian team in the opening match of the Test series as Pat Cummins has been ruled out of the match as he recovers from injury.
Before the series, Smith would play some Sheffield Shield matches for New South Wales to prepare for the challenging series.
In his first match in more than two months, he looked uncomfortable initially but was soon back to his best and scored a sensational century. He gave a big warning to England by scoring 118 runs for New South Wales against Queensland.
If Smith gets into rhythm and starts scoring runs, it will be a challenge for England – David Warner
Speaking on Fox Cricket on Wednesday, David Warner said that Australia will be largely dependent on Steve Smith in the series and if he scores consistently then they will benefit.
“If that guy Steve Smith (this summer) can score big runs, they will be fine. If Smith gets into rhythm and he starts scoring runs, it will be a challenge for England.”
David Warner also backed Steve Smith, who scored five centuries in the Ashes, and did not hesitate to say that he is behind only Don Bradman in the list of the greatest Australian batsmen. He said:
“I think he has five centuries. The other day he only had one (net session) and came out today and scored a century; that’s Steve Smith.”
The one thing he lacks is to win in India – David Warner
Warner further said that the only thing that Smith has not been able to do in his illustrious career is win a Test series in India and he is probably eager to achieve that. He said:
“The one thing he’s missing is winning in India. He knows his body now, he knows what he’s capable of – if he wants to go into that Indian series, he will.”
Warner added, “He’s still learning. If he’s still learning, God help everyone else.”
Meanwhile, former India head coach Ravi Shastri said that Smith has surprised even him with his extraordinary ability to adapt. He said:
“The thing that always amazes me about Steve… is his ability to adapt to different situations and improvise, even in the middle of a series, sometimes in the middle of an innings. (Captaincy) will get the best out of him, that’s for sure. He will be absolutely ready.”
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