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Broad revealed that he remains uncertain about an effective strategy to dismiss Steve Smith and suggests that the Ashes could become a drawn-out contest if the English team doesn't get Smith early in his innings.

Smith's Remarkable Career

The 36-year-old batsman, recognized as a top-tier modern-era players, boasts an outstanding average of 56.01 in England-Australia contests with 12 hundred-run innings to his name.

The right-handed batsman, competing in every Ashes series since the 2010-11 season, dominated the batting charts during the 2017-18 and subsequent 2019 series, registering 687 and 774 runs while Broad was still playing for England.

Broad's Frustration

"I remember clearly when he compiled that substantial innings in the 2017 Perth match and every delivery seemed to hit the middle of his bat for three consecutive days," Broad shared on a sports program.

"Whatever I bowled I aimed simply found perfectly with his bat."

"Smith has developed that specific approach of the conditions favor me, and I plan to stay at the crease'."

Record-Breaking Performance

Broad got the better of Smith 11 times in Test matches - surpassing any other bowler - yet reveals he remains unaware of an effective strategy.

Smith's career average of 56.02 climbs to nearly 60 when on home soil. Solely the great Ricky Ponting with 41 tons has registered higher figures than Smith's 36 Test hundreds for the national side.

Facing the Batting Genius

The bowler explained: "Naturally his technique has evolved during different phases, but I still cannot definitely say here's the method to dismiss him."

"It shows an amazing ability of his. He's exceptionally difficult to confront. At times you feel as if you didn't send a bad delivery and it nevertheless travels for four runs."

Recent Form and Preparation

The batsman's form experienced a slight decline between mid-2023 to late 2024 when he experienced 23 innings failing to score a hundred, but he recovered with two hundreds against India last winter and scored 141 and 131 against Sri Lanka at the start of this year.

After a 60-day pause, he commenced his training for this year's Ashes in late October and immediately scored 118 in his first appearance.

Winning Approach

"For series victory, we must restrict his scoring to under 50, isn't that true?" Broad questioned.

"He'll inevitably get a hundred, it's his specialty."

"If he averages 40 runs, that amounts to a minimum of fifteen below his career average, so you're performing excellently. In my opinion you must remove him during the initial stages."

"Should the English team aren't celebrating his dismissal within the first forty scoring shots, it will become a drawn-out battle."

Changing Strategies

The English team has attempted multiple strategies to combat Smith's unique technique over 14 Ashes series matches.

Broad revealed developing a new outswinger specifically for Smith before the 2023 series, while the team has focused on the area around his legs, bowled wide from off stump and even attempted the close-in leg-side field during that year's matches - matches in which the batsman started with twin centuries at the Birmingham ground.

Key Memories

"I remember when the English fielder was fielding at that specific fielding spot, and he was diving side to side for the opening overs, just missing him repeatedly," Broad recalled.

"The batsman survived, scored two centuries in that match, remarkable performances."

Broad added: "I remember attending a bowlers' meeting about Steve Smith in that season and someone mentioned 'oh, you could try targeting his wickets early'}."

"Is that so, can we check the frequency with which his stumps have been hit in Australian conditions during the previous five seasons?' A single instance."

Archer's Potential Impact

The next encounter, commencing in Perth on Friday (early morning GMT), appears likely to feature the batsman confronting Jofra Archer for the first test matchup since 2019, when he was famously troubled and hit by a short ball during Archer's aggressive bowling at that famous venue.

Smith has consistently emphasized that Archer failed to remove him in that game - he was forced to leave and got out later by Woakes' delivery upon resuming his innings - though Archer eventually got to have him caught on a horizontal bat in a one-day international during 2024.

"Is Archer capable provide the answer?" Broad wondered. "Making him nick from back of a length, going after the ball."

"Because Jofra Archer maintains that line of nipping back towards the stumps, is he able to bowl an outgoing delivery? Smith looks for the nip-backer."