Ashes 2025-26: ‘Just good banter’ - Steve Smith downplays fiery Archer exchange at Gabba

Australian stand-in captain Steven Smith has downplayed his on-field confrontation with England pacer Jofra Archer, calling it nothing more than good banter after their clash in the recent Brisbane game. Smith smashed an unbeaten 23 off just nine balls to guide Australia to an eight-wicket win at the Gabba, and the pair were involved in a heated exchange that was caught on the stump microphone.

With only 65 runs to defend, Archer steamed in during Australia’s chase, consistently hitting speeds around 150 kph in what became the fastest spell of the match. Smith, using his vast experience, pulled the first ball for four before mistiming an uppercut. He then dispatched the next two deliveries to the boundary, first top-edging a hook over wicketkeeper Jamie Smith for four, followed by a crisp swivel-pull that sailed over deep fine leg for six.

"What history do I have with him? He was just bowling [at] good pace, and [I'm] not really too sure what he said and not sure what I said either - and it's not really any of your business either, so we'll leave it out there,” said Smith in post-match presentation.

"The adrenaline was pumping at the end there. Obviously, we didn't need too many to win, and Jof was bowling pretty quick. I had a short boundary behind me, and I thought, 'Why not just try to get up and under a few, and put a few in the stands? Fortunately, it hit the middle of the bat on a couple of occasions. It was a huge win, obviously. It's great to go two-nil up. It's been a wonderful couple of weeks for the team. I think we've played some sensational cricket. We've identified moments in the game and made the most of them. It's been good fun,” he added.

It proved to be a frustrating Test match with the ball for Archer, who managed just a solitary wicket across 30 overs. His luckless outing was compounded by straightforward catches being put down off his bowling, first by Jamie and later by Brydon Carse. His burst of lightning-fast pace on the fourth day evening stood in sharp contrast to the noticeable drop in speed he displayed throughout Australia’s first innings.