Steve Smith’s batting during the Ashes has put pressure on Joe Root: Steve Waugh

Steve Smith has been in sublime form during the Ashes and this is something that has added more pressure on England cricket team captain Joe Root, feels former Australian cricket team skipper Steve Waugh.

Steve Smith’s stunning run in the Ashes 2017-18 has put additional pressure on England captain Joe Root, believes Australian great and former captain Steve Waugh.

Steve Smith has been in prolific tough all through the Ashes, whereas his counterpart Joe Root has failed to get as many big scores as he would have liked. (AP)

In a series wherein Smith notched up 604 runs in a mere four Tests before the fifth and final match got underway at Sydney on Thursday, Root has had to deal with the problem of failing to convert fifties into big scores.

While Smith has notched up 141*, 239, 76 and 102* before the final Test at Sydney, arguably England’s best batsman Root has had three fifties (51, 67 and 61). Even in the first innings of the final Test, Root failed once again to cross the triple-figure mark, being dismissed for 83.

Waugh has opined that Smith’s ability to make big runs puts up any of his counterparts under additional pressure. “(Smith) puts a lot of pressure on the opposition captain because of what he’s doing. I’m sure Joe Root is saying, ‘If he’s getting those runs I have really got to get them for my team’. And when Joe Root’s missed out a couple of times it keeps putting more and more pressure on him,” Waugh was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.

“(Smith) does have a big influence on the outcome of the series not just because he’s scoring runs but because but the opposition captain feels he has to keep up with him,” Waugh added.

The former Australian captain heaped praise on Smith, who is now second to Don Bradman in terms of batting average as well as rating points.

“He’s been incredible,” said Waugh. “He goes from strength to strength and whenever someone doubts him he comes out the next day and proves them wrong. He’s very adaptable and he learns quickly. He’s a really unique sort of batsman. He almost taunts the bowlers.”

Drawing a unique comparison, Waugh added, “I liken him to a matador in a bullring. He’s got that red rag out there and waving the bowlers to come and bowl here and then all of a sudden he’ll make it disappear and get them to bowl somewhere else. He really does frustrate the bowlers and tricks them into bowling to him where he wants the ball to come.”

Smith’s unorthodox batting style yet prolific run-making has amused many former cricketers, but Waugh did not fall short of praising the current Australian captain. “I don’t think I’ve seen a player hit the ball into gaps as well as he does. He rarely plays an attacking shot and hits the fieldsman, it generally goes in the gap,” he said.

“He’s got a great ability to pierce the field and he hits the ball late, he can hit the ball early — he’s got all the shots. Ninety per cent of them aren’t in the textbook, so he’s re-writing Calling all Cricketers, which is what I grew up on,” Waugh added.