Steve Smith: Aussie batting ace desperate to win Ashes series in England

Aussie batting dynamo Steve Smith left England last year with a mammoth 774 runs in four Ashes Tests and the urn retained. But the drawn series left him disappointed.

Steve Smith celebrates reaching his century in the first Test match of the 2019 Ashes series in England. Picture: Lindsey Parnaby / AFP

Aussie batting dynamo Steve Smith left England last year with a mammoth 774 runs in four Ashes Tests and the urn retained.

But the 31-year-old said a drawn series wasn’t enough and has nominated winning an Ashes series in England as one of two cricketing mountains he’s desperate to climb before he’s done.

Smith tore the England bowlers to shreds 12 months ago, starting with twin hundreds in the opening Test at Edgbaston before a blow to the head at Lord’s, from Jofra Archer, cut him down on his way to a third.

He had to miss the third Test at Headingley, where England star Ben Stokes single-handedly stole Australia’s chance at going 2-0 up.

The Aussie retained the Ashes with a fourth Test win at Manchester before losing the final clash at The Oval, where the series was drawn 2-2.

It was the third Ashes series in England for Smith, and having yet to win one outright means despite his historic run-haul last year, he left “disappointed”.

“Unfortunately, we couldn’t win them which is something I’d still like to do,” he told the Unplayable Podcast.

“It just doesn’t feel the same … you get to the end of the series and we’re there holding up the Ashes but we’d just lost the last Test match, and we actually hadn’t won anything.

“We drew the series – good, but not great.

“It was cool to get them back, but I was actually more disappointed that we hadn’t won them.”

Steve Smith celebrates with the urn after Australian drew the series to retain the Ashes. Picture: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

The next Ashes series will be in Australia in 2021/22 before the Aussies return to England in 2023.

Smith, who would only be 34 when that tour comes around and could even be captain, said a win in England, and beating India in India, were two mountains he had left to climb.

“From my personal perspective, I think it’s unfinished business,” he said

“It’s great to retain the Ashes but it just doesn’t sit right with me when you don’t win it.

“Hopefully, I get another crack at it, we’ll see how we go.

“I’m getting a bit old now.

“You never know how long I’ve got left, and you never know what the future holds.

“But it’s certainly something to strive for, that’s for sure.”