Steve Smith warns England he is on the rise and will adapt to ‘funky’ Bazball

When the Ashes started at Edgbaston in 2019 Steve Smith produced innings of 144 and 142 on his way to an average of 110.57 in the five Tests. As he prepares for a new series to start at the same venue on Friday, the 34‑year‑old has said he is a better player now than the one who haunted England’s bowlers four years ago.

Edgbaston is home of the famously raucous Hollies Stand, with the atmosphere possibly contributing to the fact that of all the home grounds where they have played more than six matches it is England’s most successful: they have won 53.7% of 54 Tests here. But Smith said he remembers nothing of the noise – “I sort of blocked it all out and just went about my business” – and that for him the ground holds only positive memories.

“That Test match is probably my favourite out of my career so far, given the circumstances and the importance of a first Ashes Test, particularly away from home,” he said.

“I’ve got some wonderful memories and some things I can draw on. I know it’s a new series – you go to different grounds around the world that you’ve done well at and you can take some positives out of those [memories] and move forward with them, but ultimately it’s another game.”

The International Cricket Council considered Smith the world’s fourth‑best Test batter in 2019 but he comes into this series at No 2, the meat in an all-Australian ranking sandwich between Marnus Labuschagne at No 1 and Travis Head at No 3 (the last time one team hogged the top three in the batting charts was when West Indies’ Gordon Greenidge, Clive Lloyd and Larry Gomes ruled the world in 1984).

“I hope I’m better,” Smith said. “I strive every day to be better so I hope that I’m a better player. I think my Ashes series before that back