The pressure was on Steve Smith in the 148-run chase of the first qualifier of the 2025 season of the Big Bash League against the Perth Scorchers as they lost Babar Azam on the second ball for a duck at the Optus Stadium. However, Smith releases the pressure with the massive six on the last ball of the opening over against Cooper Connolly. 

Despite losing wickets from the other end, Steve Smith did not lose his aggressive mode as he got a boundary at the backward point region around the sweep cover on the third ball of the seventh over of the innings. Two balls later, he got inside the line of the land delivery to pull it over the fine leg stands for a massive 6, as there was a silent mood among the crowd.

See Also: Watch: Babar Azam falls for two-ball duck vs Perth Scorchers during BBL 2025/26

He was the only player who expected to carry the Sixers over the margin, but he got dismissed on 37 runs in 24 deliveries with the help of two boundaries and as many sixes as he swiveled lacrosse and was looking to pull the short ball over deep square leg, but could not get the expected elevation and scooped it into the hands of the long-leg fielder.

Steve Smith’s massive six breaks internet

In the first innings of the game, Perth Scorchers made their way to 147 for the loss of nine wickets in 20 overs as their opening batter, Finn Allen, smashed a decent knock of 49 runs in 30 balls with the help of four sixes and two boundaries at a strike rate of nearly 165, while their captain, Aston Turner, clubbed 29 runs in 21 deliveries thanks to his three boundaries and one six.

Watch the video here: 

"Short, leg-side, GOODBYE!"

Don't bowl there to Steve Smith 🙅‍♂️ #BBL15 pic.twitter.com/pQEvVn2Jue

— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) January 20, 2026

The chase was always expected to be a tough one on a sticky surface where the ball was not coming to the bed quite easily, as the Pacers were getting much more help off the surface, and the Sixers lost three wickets inside the powerplay.

Perth, with the victory, will now host the final of the BBL 2025/26 at the Optus Stadium, while the Sixers will go back to play the second qualifier at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

Brief Scores: Perth Scorchers 147/9 (Finn Allen 49, Ben Dwarshuis 2/23) beat Sydney Sixers 99 (Steve Smith 37, Mahli Beardman 3/20) by 48 runs.

Australia batter Steve Smith has addressed reports suggesting tension between him and Pakistan star Babar Azam during the Big Bash League. The speculation followed an incident in the Sydney Sixers’ match against Sydney Thunder last Friday. Babar was denied a single by Smith, which led to claims of frustration. Some reports even suggested Babar felt disrespected.

Smith quickly dismissed those rumours and said there was no issue between the two. During the broadcast, a clip from the Sixers’ pre-match training session was shown. In it, Smith and Babar were seen talking comfortably. Smith later explained what that conversation was about.

“Nah, he’s good. We were just chatting before. I thought he batted really well the other night and we had a good partnership. We were talking about our golf there. He’s looking forward to tonight and it’s a nice wicket, so I hope we can get off to a good start again,” Smith said.

“I’ll Try to Get 30 Off That Over,” Smith Clarifies

The incident happened in the 11th over at Moore Park during the Power Surge. Smith chose to keep the strike instead of taking a single. Babar looked unhappy at the time. Smith then justified the call by hitting four sixes in a row.

Watch the video here

"They've said no run to that."

Steve Smith knocked a run back off the bat of Babar Azam, so he could have the strike for the Power Surge! #BBL15 pic.twitter.com/BaZET2UF2t

— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) January 16, 2026

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The over produced 32 runs, giving the Sixers a strong push. Babar was back on strike in the next over but was dismissed on the first ball. As he walked off, he struck the boundary cushion with his bat in frustration. Later reports claimed he stayed in the dressing room after the match.

CODE Sports reported that Sixers coach Greg Shipperd stepped in to settle the situation. Smith later explained the thinking behind the decision. “We spoke at the ten-over mark and they [the captain and coach] said take the surge straightaway,” Smith told Channel 7. “I said, ‘Nah, give it one over. I want to hit to the short boundary. I don’t want to mess up the first over. I’ll try to get 30 off that over.’ I think we got 32, so it was a good result. Not sure Babar was too happy with me knocking back that single.”

Babar Azam and Steve Smith stitched an eventful partnership for the Sydney Sixers against their archrival, the Sydney Thunder, on January 16 at the Sydney Cricket Ground. For the opening stand, Azam and Smith secured 141 runs, which was enough to secure a win for their team.

While Steve Smith completed a commendable century, Azam had to return after a 47-run knock off 39 deliveries. The Pakistan superstar is often criticized for his usual slow batting approach. In this match too, his intention was to create a steady innings. But Smith's thinking was a bit different. Instead of a slow-paced knock, he went straightaway in the middle with an attacking batting approach.

While Babar's 47-run knock was supported by a strike rate of 120.51, Smith's strike rate was 238.10. The Australian batter smashed 9 sixes and 5 boundaries. He reached his hundred in 41 balls, and that was the joint-second fastest century in the Big Bash League. The Australia international smacked 30 runs of the 32-run off Ryan Hadley’s over while chasing a target of 190.

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Watch the highlights of Babar Azam and Steve Smith's partnership 

Every Ball Faced By Steve Smith & Babar Azam In Their Partnership Of 141(74) 🐐👑
pic.twitter.com/7hsLxTsUyX

— Danish (@PctDanish) January 16, 2026

The target was not too easy to get, but it was Smith who accomplished his job smoothly like a hot knife in butter. Before that 32-run over, Smith refused to take a single on Babar Azam's call, which might have made the Pakistan batter unhappy. After the couple of entertaining overs, Azam departed.

Babar departed on 12.1 overs, and Smith lost his wicket on the sixth ball of the 14th over when the Sixers already had 159 runs on the scoreboard. The Sydney Sixers won the match in 17.2 overs by 5 wickets. 

It was a quick and sharp turnaround for the Australia players from the end of the Test season and to business end of the ongoing 2025/26 season of the Big Bash League (BBL) as it was the same case for Steve Smith, whose first game however was washed out against the Hobart Hurricanes before the focus turned for the massive clash against the Sydney Thunder at the home ground. 

In chasing the massive target of 190 runs set by the Thunder, the Sydney Sixers needed a strong start in such a power play, and Steve Smith used his experience and skills to get them to a fiery start. However, it was hard to believe the shot that he played on the third ball of the 4th over against Nathan McAndrew.

See Also: Watch: David Warner overtakes Virat Kohli in this record with BBL 2025/26 century against Sydney Sixers

It was a full outside of delivery from the Pacer S Smith sat deep and smacked this across the line with such a clean connection as flew off the bat, and with more elevation, it hit the roof of the stadium before falling down. The batter lofted the shot as he watched the ball fly and made his trademark hand gesture as the replay confirmed it was a 107-meter six.

Steve Smith smashes 107-meter six in BBL 2025/26

On the first ball of the same over with the baseball swing of his back, Hey welcomed the pester with a massive six over deep square leg before celebrating his half-century with six against Wes Agar in just 23 balls. The Sixers made their way to 107 runs without any wickets at the halfway mark of the innings.

Watch the video here:

YOU ARE JOKING!

Steve Smith has just hit a 107-metre six at the SCG. #BBL15 pic.twitter.com/vShVmqtXfe

— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) January 16, 2026

Smith remained unbeaten on 57 in just 27 deliveries thanks to his four sixes and three boundaries at that stage. He got full support from the other end, where Babar Azam made his way to 46 runs at a strike rate of close to 140.

Earlier in the game, Sydney Thunder posted 189 for the loss of six wickets in the allotted twenty overs after their opening batter, David Warner, celebrated an unbeaten knock of 110 at a strike rate of 170, thanks to his eleven boundaries and four sixes.

Brief Scores: Sydney Thunder 189/6 (David Warner 110*, Sam Curran 3/28) vs Sydney Sixers 142/1 (Steve Smith 88, Babar Azam 47, Nathan McAndrew 1/23) 

A video has gone viral of top-class Australian batter, Steve Smith, where he was seen to hit a baseball with a cricket bat at Yankee Stadium in America. It came during his introduction with the former England player and the renowned commentator Kevin Pietersen as they shared several analyses of the game and his career.

Steve Smith, who currently won the Ashes 2025/26 for the Australia side by a margin of 4-1, celebrated a fine century in the final Test at the home Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). Apart from that, he also played a sensational knock of 61 during the second day-night Test match at the Gabba before missing the third one in Adelaide due to injury.

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Steve Smith has currently scored 10763 runs in 123 Test matches for the national side and an average of over 56, thanks to his 37 centuries and 44 half-centuries at the best score of 239 at Lord's Cricket Ground.

Steve Smith smashes basball with cricket bat in viral video 

Having already taken his retirement from the ODI format with 5800 runs in 170 matches at a strike rate of 86, thanks to his 12 centuries and 35 centuries, his full focus remains on the Test matches, with T20I seems to be the least format expected to play for the National side. His last game for Australia in the shortest format was last year against New Zealand at Eden Park in Auckland.

Watch the video here: 

Steve Smith Hitting Baseballs With A Cricket Bat! 😮

(Inside The Yankees Stadium!) 🏟️ pic.twitter.com/Fc4NBMs7V4

— The Switch | Kevin Pietersen (@kptheswitch) January 10, 2026

Just two days after his last Test match in Sydney, he turned up at the same ground for the Sydney Sixers in the BBL 2025/26 clash against the Hobart Hurricanes, where he remained unbeaten on 19 runs in an opening partnership with Babar Azam, before the rain curtailed the game and eventually saw it get abandoned.

There were questions of whether he would retire after this Ashes series, but Steve Smith has revealed that he would still love to win two away Test series in India and England, which are going to happen by the end of the 2027 English summer, after which he may decide to call his time in the red ball format.

Veteran Australian batter Steve Smith scored his 37th hundred at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) against England in the fifth and final Test of the ongoing Ashes 2025-26. Leading the team, he made 138 runs off 220 balls as Australia responded with 567 to England’s first innings total of 384.

Australia resumed their first innings on Day 4 at 518-7, with Smith on 129 and Beau Webster on 42. His long stay at the crease ended with a special delivery from Josh Tongue. Smith was caught behind off a fuller-length ball that angled in and moved away slightly. His innings lasted 332 minutes and included 16 fours and a six.

With this hundred at the SCG, Smith moved to second place on the list of batters with the most hundreds in the Ashes. Let’s take a look at the top five batters with the most centuries in the England vs Australia Test rivalry.

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5. Wally Hammond & David Gower (9)
The England duo of Wally Hammond and David Gower scored nine hundreds each in the Ashes. Hammond played 33 Tests against Australia, scoring 2,852 runs at an average of 51.85, with nine hundreds and seven fifties. Gower played 38 Ashes Tests and scored 3,037 runs at an average of 46.01, with nine hundreds and several fifties.

Hammond’s best Ashes score was 251 in Sydney in December 1928. He also scored 240 at Lord’s in June 1938 and 231* in Sydney in December 1936. Gower’s highest score against Australia was 215 in Birmingham in August 1985. He also scored 166 in Nottingham (July 1985) and 157 at The Oval (August 1985). Gower made 732 runs in nine innings in the 1985 Ashes.

4. Steve Waugh (10)
Former Australian captain Steve Waugh is fourth on the list with 10 hundreds. In 45 Tests against England, he scored 3,173 runs at an average of 58.75, with 10 hundreds and 14 fifties. Waugh’s best Ashes score was 177* in Leeds in June 1989. The 242-ball innings lasted 310 minutes and included 24 fours.

Waugh famously scored 157* at The Oval in August 2001 while batting with a severe calf injury. He also scored 157* in Leeds in July 1993. In the 1989 Ashes, he scored 506 runs in eight innings at an average of 126.50.

3. Jack Hobbs (12)
England legend Jack Hobbs is third on the list with 12 hundreds in 41 matches. He scored 3,636 runs at an average of 54.26, including 15 fifties. Hobbs’ highest score against Australia was 187 in Adelaide in January 1912. The innings lasted 334 minutes and had 15 fours.

He also scored 178 in Melbourne in February 1912, 154 in Melbourne in January 1925, and 142 in Melbourne in March 1929. Hobbs scored 662 runs in nine innings in the 1911-12 Ashes, 505 runs in 1920-21, and 573 in 1924-25.

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2. Steve Smith (13)
With his hundred at the SCG, Steve Smith moved to second place with 13 Ashes hundreds. In 41 matches, he has scored 3,691 runs at an average of 56.78, with 14 fifties. His highest Ashes score is 239 at the WACA in Perth in December 2017, which lasted 578 minutes.

Smith also scored 215 at Lord’s in July 2015 and 211 in Manchester in September 2019. In the 2019 Ashes, he scored 774 runs in seven innings at an average of 110.57, with three hundreds. In 2017-18, he scored 687 runs at an average of 137.40, also hitting three hundreds in the series.

1. Don Bradman (19)
Aussie legend Don Bradman tops the list with 19 hundreds in 37 Ashes matches. He scored 5,028 runs at an average of 89.78, with 12 fifties. His highest score against England was 334 in Leeds in July 1930. The innings lasted 383 minutes and included 46 fours.

Bradman also scored 304 in Leeds in July 1934, 270 in Melbourne in 1937, and 254 at Lord’s in June 1930. He made 974 runs in seven innings in the 1930 Ashes, averaging 139.14, with four hundreds. In 1936-37, he scored 810 runs and 758 in the 1934 series.

Australia concluded an overwhelming series performance against England in the Fifth Test with a 5-wicket success which sealed the Ashes 4-1 for Australia as they maintained ownership of the Urn. The match served as an appropriate conclusion to a hard-fought summer filled with individual brilliance, long batting marathons, and decisive bowling success. England began strongly by winning the toss and choosing to bat; however, the English cricket team could not keep pace with the overall depth and stability shown by Australia across all disciplines.

The England first innings was anchored by a superb innings of 160 by Joe Root, who weathered a fair number of collapses in England's batting order. Harry Brook added an impressive contribution with his aggressive 84 which took England to a very respectable 384; however, the Australian bowlers shared the shared the workload evenly with Michael Neser collecting 4 wickets and Mitchell Starc striking at critical phases. Despite Root's valiant effort there was no way for England to build on their platform to attain a commanding total on a surface that became increasingly batting-friendly.

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In its first innings, Australia immediately responded with an incredible 567, establishing control of the match. Travis Head was unstoppable, scoring 163 at just shy of one run per ball with his aggressive batting, while Steven Smith displayed expert levels of patience and precision in his craftsmanship by scoring 138 runs. Additional substantial scores from Marnus Labuschagne and Beau Webster added further pressure to England's already long task of bowling for prolonged stretches. By the time Australia had finalized its innings, it had amassed a significant lead that left England under immense pressure to perform.

Bethell’s Grit and Australia’s Composure

However, England displayed strong fight during its second innings with a remarkable innings of 154 from Jacob Bethell. Batting for more than four hours and demonstrating high levels of composure and endurance, Bethell formed several partnerships that allowed England to maintain a slim chance. Nevertheless, the disciplined accuracy of Scott Boland and the extreme pace of Mitchell Starc produced continued breakthroughs preventing England from building an insurmountable target. England was eventually bowled out for 342, leaving Australia a target of 160 runs to win the match.

Although Australia lost two early wickets during the last day of the Ashes, they showed tremendous quality by making it through with relative ease as Alex Carey and Cameron Green kept them going without being dismissed. Their calmness proved how much depth, consistency and confidence this team has, even in pressure situations. Travis Head received deserved accolades for being the Player-of-the-Match for his great first innings batting performance, while Mitchell Starc took home the Player-of-the-Series award. With this victory, Australia became the undisputed champion of the 2025-26 Ashes series by their undeniable strength and success.

Steve Smith showcased his class in the fifth and final Ashes Test on Day 3, smashing his 37th century in the format. This marked the 123rd Test match of his illustrious career—the same number of matches Virat Kohli played for India before announcing his retirement from the format last year. On that note, let us take a look at the statistical comparison between Smith and Kohli after 123 Tests.

Smith is winning this battle hands down, having displayed immense composure at various stages of his career. Kohli was not far behind until 2019, but his last five to six years in Test cricket did not go as planned. Although the former India skipper managed to score a couple of centuries, he lacked consistency during this phase. As a result, his career average dropped below 50 before he eventually retired ahead of the England tour in 2025.

From a statistical perspective, Kohli scored 9,230 runs in 123 Test matches at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries and 31 fifties. In the same number of Tests, Smith is closing in on 11,000 runs. In Sydney, he brought up his 37th Test century, with his career average standing above 56.

Also Read -Prasidh Krishna vs Mohammad Shami – Comparing Their Stats After 21 ODIs

Steve Smith having a ball on the way to a 37th Test century 🙃

More 📲 https://t.co/BlCDoc9Fup#WTC27 #AUSvENG pic.twitter.com/3EIzResbuH

— ICC (@ICC) January 6, 2026

Steve Smith vs Virat Kohli stats after 123 matches in Test cricket

Steve Smith becomes second-highest run-scorer in Ashes history

Steve Smith became the second-highest run-scorer in Ashes history on Tuesday (January 6, 2026). The right-handed batter achieved the milestone on Day 2 of the fifth and final Ashes Test against England at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

During Australia’s first innings, Smith went past England legend Jack Hobbs, who scored 3,636 runs in 41 matches and 71 innings in the Ashes. Hobbs averaged an impressive 54.26 and hit 13 centuries along with 15 half-centuries.

Smith, now ranked second on the list, has scored 3,644 runs in 41 matches and 73 innings at a brilliant average of 56.93. He has also registered 13 centuries and 15 half-centuries in the Ashes so far.

Australian great Don Bradman remains the leading run-scorer in Ashes history. Bradman amassed 5,028 runs in 37 matches and 63 innings at an incredible average of 89.78, including 19 centuries and 12 half-centuries. However, it remains to be seen whether Smith can cross the 12,000-run mark before he retires from international cricket.

Even though Australia had already won the Ashes 2025/26, their stand-in captain, Steve Smith, headed into the fifth and final Test of the series at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground without a single century in this series. Especially after Australia’s defeat in the last game at the MCG the onus was on the leader to back runs on a solid home surface.

After the magnificent knock off Travis Head at the opening position with 163 at a strike rate of nearly 100, Steve Smith went into his bubble and completed his 37^th red-ball century which also becomes his 13th against England, only above his 11 centuries against India. The right handed batter has now the second most centuries in the ashes cricket only behind Don Bradman, who has 19 such scores.

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England tried the short ball planning against the right-handed batter, but Smith was well aware of it and kept on playing the pull and used his tennis-hand shot to go down the ground. Even against the spinners, he was well aggressive and did not fear of going for the big shots as Australia claimed a 100+ run lead, heading into the 4^th day of the encounter.

Steve Smith celebrates 13th Ashes century in 2025/26 series

Earlier in the game, England posted decent score of 384 which was comparatively lower than expected on a flat Sydney surface as their number 4 batter, veteran Joe Root, nailed a fine knock of 160 in 242 balls with the help of 15 boundaries while Harry Brook countered an aggressive knockoff eight 4 runs shouldering on fixed boundaries and one six.

Watch the video here: 

More #Ashes history for Steve Smith, who brings up another stunning SCG hundred 👏#MilestoneMoment | @nrmainsurance pic.twitter.com/w76y8wGbWy

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 6, 2026

Australia smelt the 500-mark before the fourth day’s play, having already taken a lead of more than 100 runs as Steve Smith remained unbeaten on 124 towards the close of the third day’s play, which has been an headache for Ben Stokes as England’s bowling performance continues to be a concern.

Brief Scores: Australia 514/7 (Travis Head 163, Steve Smith 129*, Brydon Carse 3/108) lead England 384 (Joe Root 160, Harry Brook 84, Micheal Neser 4/60) by 130 runs, 

Australia has made significant changes to their squad ahead of the Boxing Day Test against England in the 2025-26 Ashes series. Steve Smith will captain the team, filling in for Pat Cummins, who will not play due to workload management, and Nathan Lyon is unavailable because of injury (hamstring). As Australia has already retained the Ashes, the selectors were able to concentrate more on player fitness and balance going into the final stages of this series.
Pat Cummins was omitted as a "precaution" due to back problems that have been affecting him recently. Although he played in the 3rd Test at Adelaide, the team management opted not to take the risk of putting him under further strain. Similarly, Nathan Lyon will not play again in this series following a hamstring injury sustained during their last match. Reports say that Lyon will have to have surgery and will miss a significant amount of time from competitive cricket.
Australia has boosted their pace attack due to the absence of Cummins and Hazlewood by bringing back fast bowler Jhye Richardson, who is fully fit after getting cleared by his medical team. Todd Murphy has also been selected to provide off-spin cover in place of Matthew Kuhnemann and Corey Rocchiccioli based upon the strength of his performance in the Tests and being able to replicate the right-handed off-spin of Nathan Lyon.

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Richardson and Murphy Return as Australia Focus on Depth

Todd Murphy, who recently made his Test debut, has taken 22 wickets in just seven Tests at an excellent average. His calmness and consistency have made the selectors feel confident about using him as the replacement for Nathan Lyon through the Melbourne Test because of Murphy's past experience performing well in difficult conditions.

The return of Jhye Richardson is yet another positive for the Australians, as the quick has taken 11 wickets for the Test matches he has played (3) with an excellent average. His pace and control provide additional variety to the bowling unit while also providing much-needed support to both Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland.

Australia will be captained by Steve Smith in the Boxing Day Test, his third time captaining Australia during this Ashes series, having missed the Adelaide Test due to illness. Smith has returned to form and fitness and joins a team that includes Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Travis Head, Cameron Green, and Alex Carey, thus ensuring that Australia will have a very strong and well-balanced team for the all-important Melbourne Test.

Australia squad for fourth Test of Ashes 2025-26

Steve Smith (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Todd Murphy, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster