The Ashes 2023: Joe Root & Steve Smith set for summer showdown

Steve Smith has the astir Test centuries of progressive batters, portion Joe Root has the astir runs.

Two of the champion Test batters of their procreation are astir to look each different again successful the Ashes.

Australia person Steve Smith, the ultimate Test century-maker of the era, looking backmost to his best.

Who volition spell down arsenic the greater Test batter? And if you person to prime 1 to bat astatine fig four, who are you going for?

• Smith targets 'bucket list' triumph successful England
• Where volition the Ashes beryllium won and lost?

Ashes records

If you are picking a subordinate for an Ashes series, Smith is the wide winner.

Only Australia fable Don Bradman (19) and England large Jack Hobbs (12) person much Ashes centuries than Smith's 11.

He is 5th connected the all-time Ashes runs database with 3,044 - 592 down Hobbs successful 2nd - truthful volition apt extremity his vocation arsenic the astir prolific Ashes run-scorer since Bradman (5,028). He could get determination by the extremity of this series.

Root averages 38.76 against Australia, compared to 53.82 against each different teams.

All 3 of his Ashes centuries person travel astatine home, and helium has not made 1 since 2015.

Smith's Ashes mean successful England (65.08) is amended than successful Australia (54.50) and his show successful 2019 - 774 runs astatine an mean of 110.57 contempt missing a Test due to the fact that of concussion - was 1 of the top ever bid by a batter.

Root said Smith's 2019 Ashes showing was a "phenomenal achievement", particularly fixed the scrutiny helium was nether returning from a year-long prohibition for his portion successful Australia's 2018 ball-tampering scandal.

"It showed however bully a subordinate helium is, however beardown a quality helium is and intelligibly however overmuch this contention means to him," Root told BBC Sport.

Style and substance

Perhaps it comes down to which statistic you worth most.

Root, 32, is connected people to extremity his vocation with importantly much Test runs and apt much centuries than Smith, 34, whose totals are impacted by his ban.

With 11,004 runs already, Root adjacent has a accidental of surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's satellite grounds of 15,921 - provided helium remains healthy, bare and prolific.

Some volition constituent to England playing much Tests than different teams, but Root's quality to stay acceptable and focused contempt the demands of a engaged docket deserves credit.

As Smith told BBC Sport, Root has "set the modular for English cricket successful peculiar but besides cricket each astir the world" implicit the past decade.

Smith has the sixth-best Test mean of each clip (60.04), has converted 45.6% of his fifties into hundreds and scored a period successful 18.1% of his innings.

Root averages 50.24, has a conversion complaint of 33.3% and has deed a period successful 12.2% of his innings.

We are lone talking Tests present - but unfastened it retired to each formats and Root has superior records to Smith successful one-day and T20 planetary cricket.

It is not each astir stats, though. Who bash you privation to ticker bat?

Root is much aesthetically pleasing, his trademark poise and elegance present supplemented by flourishes specified arsenic the ramp changeable - having been fixed much licence to excite nether Ben Stokes, his successor arsenic England captain.

Smith's fidgety rituals and exaggerated leaves whitethorn gully groans from immoderate viewers, but helium is simply a batter of uncommon interaction and timing too, seemingly incapable of being dismissed astatine his best.

A summertime showdown awaits?

Joe Root has lone outscored Steve Smith successful 1 Ashes they person some played successful - the 2021-22 bid successful Australia

Smith and Root person faced each different successful six erstwhile Ashes series, but lone successful 2015 were they some their team's apical runscorers.

Root was named subordinate of the bid arsenic England won 3-2, but it did not consciousness similar his rivalry with Smith was the astir pivotal origin successful the outcome.

There are plentifulness of reasons to anticipation this summertime volition supply a series-defining showdown betwixt the pair.

Root volition beryllium assured helium tin amended his Ashes grounds aft a stellar run.

Since the commencement of 2021, Root has deed 3,181 runs and 12 centuries - nary different Test batter has passed 2,000 runs oregon made much than 7 tons successful that time.

He is nary longer burdened by the captaincy and has thrived nether Stokes and manager Brendon McCullum.

After a comparatively humble spell, Smith looked ominous successful the World Test Championship final triumph implicit India arsenic helium compiled his 31st Test period - the astir of immoderate progressive batter.

This besides could beryllium Smith's past accidental to triumph an Ashes bid successful England aft 2 defeats and 1 draw.

So, who are you picking?

• Go heavy beneath the waves: Hidden cameras springiness unthinkable perspectives connected ingenious water creatures
• Are you successful request of a bully night's sleep? Try Michael Mosley's suggestions for relaxing and dropping off