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Smith hints at Test retirement (Source: @CricCrazyJohns/x.com)
Australia turned their backyard into a fortress, crushing England 4-1 to seal the Ashes and keep the iconic urn firmly at home. Throughout the series, they thrived in home conditions, and England had another forgettable outing on their rival’s soil.
Australia’s battle-hardened veterans rolled back the years, using their priceless experience to haunt England throughout the series. After securing the series victory, Steve Smith hinted at an early retirement plan, which grabbed attention.
Is Steve Smith eyeing a shock exit before the 2027 Ashes?
Almost two months of the red-ball drama have finally come to an end as the iconic Ashes have been wrapped up. While thriving in the home conditions, Australia won the series by 4-1. In the cricket world, where teams are opting for the youngster to hold the baton, Australia walked on a different path as their seasoned veterans repaid that faith with performances that stole the spotlight.
From Mitchell Starc to Scott Boland, Michael Neser, and even Steve Smith turned heads with their brilliance. With the next Ashes set for 2027, age now looms as the big question mark over this golden core. When asked, Steve Smith admitted winning in England would be special, but left his own presence hanging in the balance.
“I'm sure everyone's excited to go there and try and win the Ashes. It's something that I certainly haven't done in my career, and something I'd like to tick off, whether I get there or not; it's a different question. The squad we've had over the last four or five years has been amazing. So hopefully we can keep growing, getting better,” Smith told Fox Cricket.
Alex Carey’s magic leaves Steve Smith amazed
Throughout the Test series, the Australian side excelled in every unit, but Alex Carey’s brilliance cannot be ignored. Behind the stumps, he did something unthinkable, and Australia got some key momentum. After the empathetic victory, Steve Smith showered unreal praise on the Australian wicketkeeper.
“He was unbelievable with both bat and gloves, I think. Just the way he was able to go up to the stumps, in particular to the quicks. Those guys are bowling late 130s [kph] almost hitting 140s at times. And he's just taken them easy,” he said.
“He works incredibly hard on it. And against this opposition, we thought that was a real threat, being able to keep them stuck on their crease and not allow them to dance at our bowlers. And he just did that so well, and the guys bowling to it just reciprocated and put the ball in the right areas,” he added.
Steve Smith hails Mitchell Starc after match-winning impact
Australia has showcased their excellence in all-five Test matches, but Mitchell Starc’s performance was just unreal. He delivered fire in every moment and ended up securing 31 wickets in the series. After the triumph, Steve Smith had no hesitation in hailing Starc’s match-defining brilliance.
“Mitchell Starc was sensational, and then supported by everyone that played,” he said.
In the recently ended Test series, Australia faced a series of injury blows as Josh Hazlewood missed the entire Ashes. Adding to that, Pat Cummins only featured in one Test, and Nathan Lyon played only two. Defying all the odds, Australia rose above the setbacks to clinch another glorious Ashes victory over their arch-rivals.
