Smith redefining what's possible: Cook

Australian skipper Steve Smith is in such rare form that he's redefining what's possible for a batsman to achieve, according to Alastair Cook.

The former England captain returned to form in record-breaking fashion in the drawn Boxing Day Test with an unbeaten 244.

It was the highest score made by any foreign batsman at the MCG, but after Smith steered Australia to safety with his third ton of the series, he earned high praise from Cook.

"He's playing really well and he's played very well over the past four or five years," Cook said.

"Probably when we first saw him we didn't think he would turn out to be the player he has turned out to be and you've got to give him a lot of credit for the way he's worked at his game.

"He sticks to it for an incredibly long period of time.

"He's kind of setting a new benchmark for what can be possible."

Smith took his series tally to 604 runs with the important knock - 219 runs ahead of David Warner, the second highest series run-scorer with 385.

If he scores 26 runs in his next innings in Sydney, he will be tied with Sir Garfield Sobers and trailing only Don Bradman as the second-fastest batsman to 6000 Test career runs.

In the latest ICC Test player rankings, the right-hander climbed to 947 ratings points – the second-highest score in history, behind only Sir Donald Bradman.

Clearly, England will need to find a way to curb Smith's brilliance if they are to break through for an elusive Ashes Test win in Sydney.

Skipper Joe Root was also impressed with Smith's performance in Melbourne, but is confident England have an effective strategy to combat him.

"It was difficult (to get him out) on that surface but fair play to him he played extremely well," Root said.

"Even when it is a batter-friendly pitch like that, under the pressure of knowing that you've got to bat all day to try to get a draw is really quite difficult.

"(But) we know that, especially when (the ball) moves, that we're more than capable of (getting him out).

"We've just got to make sure that we keep trying every option if he does get in and keep trusting and believing in what we do."

Steve Smith: By the numbers

23 Test centuries Smith has amassed in 60 Tests. He now sits in equal eighth spot alongside Justin Langer on the list of most Test centuries for Australia. Smith achieved the feat in 110 innings, the third fastest ever behind Bradman (59 innings) and Sunil Gavaskar (109).

3,007 runs Smith has scored in Australia at an average of 77.10. He’s posted 13 hundreds and nine half-centuries in only 49 innings on home soil.

604 runs in the series to date. The most ever in an Ashes series is The Don’s 974 in 1930 and the most in Australia is Wally Hammond’s 905 in 1928-29. Smith has the most in a series by an Australian since Michael Slater’s 6230run haul in 1994-95.

4 captains to score three or more centuries in an Ashes series. Smith joins Warwick Armstrong (1920-21), Bradman (1936-37 & 1938) and David Gower (1985).

8 Test hundreds made against England, the equal-fourth most ever. Bradman leads the way with 19, ahead of West Indies legend Sir Garfield Sobers and Steve Waugh (10) and Greg Chappell (8).

2 players to score centuries in four consecutive Tests at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Naturally, Bradman is the other; he did it from 1928 to 1931.

6 centuries Smith scored in 2017, the second time he's posted half a dozen tons in a calendar year. Smith is only the second batsman to post six centuries in a calendar year on multiple occasions, joining Ricky Ponting, who did it three times. 

2017-18 International Fixtures

Magellan Ashes Series

Australia Test squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Cameron Bancroft, Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Jackson Bird, Ashton Agar.

England Test squad: Joe Root (c), James Anderson (vc), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Gary Ballance, Stuart Broad, Alastair Cook, Mason Crane, Tom Curran, Ben Foakes, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ben Stokes, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Chris Woakes.

First Test Australia won by 10 wickets. Scorecard

Second Test Australia won by 120 runs (Day-Night). Scorecard

Third Test Australia won by an innings and 41 runs. Scorecard

Fourth Test MCG, drawn. Scorecard

Fifth Test SCG, January 4-8 (Pink Test). Tickets

Gillette ODI Series v England

First ODI MCG, January 14. Tickets

Second ODI Gabba, January 19. Tickets

Third ODI SCG, January 21. Tickets

Fourth ODI Adelaide Oval, January 26. Tickets

Fifth ODI Perth Stadium, January 28. Tickets

Prime Minister's XI

PM's XI v England Manuka Oval, February 2. Tickets

Gillette T20 trans-Tasman Tri-Series

First T20I Australia v NZ, SCG, February 3. Tickets

Second T20I – Australia v England, Blundstone Arena, February 7. Tickets

Third T20I – Australia v England, MCG, February 10. Tickets

Fourth T20I – NZ v England, Wellington, February 14

Fifth T20I – NZ v Australia, Eden Park, February 16

Sixth T20I – NZ v England, Seddon Park, February 18

Final – TBC, Eden Park, February 21