I've never liked Smith - don't like the way he bats and didn't like the obnoxious behaviour of the Aussie team he captained (the real measure of how bad they had got is that I don't think any genuine cricket fan could have been the least bit surprised when the ball tampering story broke), but, I don't think I've ever seen anyone make batting look as easy as he did when he came in, with his team, seemingly, on their way to defeat, in a very tense situation on Saturday. Moeen Ali had turned his second ball a long way to all but bowl Bancroft and then got him out in his next over - he was the potential match winning bowler for England, but Smith was toying with him from the start and is now dominating him to the extent that he will, almost certainly, be dropped after this match with his bowling, and batting, confidence absolutely shot.

Second best ever to Bradman? On the evidence of this match, Smith may just be that.