'Winning WTC was a proud moment but...' - Steve Smith draws comparison between WTC final and Ashes series

Australian veteran Test batter Steve Smith is back in action in red-ball cricket as the much-awaited Ashes series kicked off on June 16 between England and Australia. The Kangaroos recently defeated India in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023 final by 209 runs at the Oval on June 11.

The 34-year-old has a stellar record while playing in England, ranking fifth on the all-time Ashes run scorers list with 1627 runs in 14 games at an average of 65.08 and is anticipated to be one of Australia's main players as they attempt to retain the Ashes and win their first series in that country since 2001. Smith recently discussed Australia's victory in the WTC final, but he thinks that taking the Ashes series will be the team's high point.

“We had a great last week winning the Test championship. It was two years of hard work that went into it. It was a really proud moment for all the boys but yeah, the Ashes, for Australia and England cricketers, is the pinnacle. We work for it throughout our life, so it's going to be exciting,” Smith was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

The boys can't wait to get into the Ashes series: Steve Smith

Smith entered the series with some momentum after scoring a hundred against India at the Oval in the WTC final. When the Ashes were last played in England, the 34-year-old had a fantastic Ashes campaign, scoring 774 runs in just seven innings. He said, however, that while England and Australia have a long history of competing against one another, a thrilling matchup also depends on their current condition.

“Just the history of it. Australia and England, it's the biggest series. It's the one who wants to do really well in, and hope your team has success. The way England have been in playing, the way we have been playing, it's going to be exciting series. The boys can't wait to get into it,” he added.