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'Average of 65 by the End of the Summer,' Steve Smith Responds to Stuart Broad

image-lh09nwcmAustralia won The Ashes 2021-22 4-0 [Source: Twitter]

As 'The Ashes 2023' nears, the banter between former players and fans of both England and Australia has heated up. Several active players have already started taking jibes at their opponents, with the latest being Australia's Steve Smith, who responded to a Stuart Broad comment.

England pacer Broad, who recently made a bizarre remark about Australia's 4-0 win in The Ashes 2021-22 not being a "real" victory, over on Instagram commented on a post related to dismissing Smith, where the latter replied in his quirky self as reported by The West Australian.

Here's how the interaction went

Broad: “I love it anytime we get him out, in any variety, cause he averages 60”.

Smith: “Hopefully, 65 by the end of the summer”.

A modern-day great, Smith averages 59.68 in 32 Ashes Tests, while batting in England the average drops minuscule to 59.55, having amassed 1,727 runs with six centuries and seven fifties.

However, Smith in the last Ashes tour in England back in 2019, ransacked England bowlers all over, making 774 runs at an astounding 110.57 average.

Interestingly, the former Australian captain has been dismissed the most by Broad in Tests; nine times, fellow England teammate James Anderson is second with 8. 

Out of 576 Test wickets for Broad, 131 have come against Australia with eight five-wickets and one 10-wicket haul, respectively. In England, Broad averages 26.19 against Australia, picking up 85 wickets in 20 Ashes matches. 

The first Test begins on June 16 at Edgbaston. 

Ahead of the series, England play a one-off Test against Ireland on June 1 at Lord's, while Australia battle it out with India in the ICC World Test Championship Final on June 7 at The Oval.