Border lavishes praise on Ashes hero Steve Smith

Smith has returned from his one-year ban for the Newlands ball-tampering scandal in quite sensational form and hit his ninth consecutive Ashes half century with a knock of 82 on Saturday.

Border thinks the entire team will need to doff its baggy Green Caps to former captain Smith.

“He’s been quite phenomenal and with Australia going on to retain the Ashes, it’s basically been on the back of Smith’s bat,” Border told Fox Sports TV.

“He’s been phenomenal throughout the series and again yesterday, Australia in trouble as usual, top of the order struggling again. He just steadies the ship, and then that remarkable knock and gets them into position to declare which put Australia right in the box seat helping it take a decisive lead.” While Smith has thrived in a series pushed back into the autumn to accommodate the World Cup, his fellow top order batsmen, with the exception of Marnus Labuschagne, have endured a torrid time in the face of the hostile English bowling.