Down but not out: Smith welcomes bouncer barrage

Australia batsman Steve Smith has dismissed any claims England paceman Jofra Archer has the edge over him for one simple reason: he has never got him out.

Smith's comments come on the eve of his return to cricket in Derby after he was subbed out of the Lord's Test and missed the classic at Headingley due to the concussion he suffered at the hands of Archer in the second Test.

The duel between Smith and Archer in the afternoon session on day four was as captivating as Test cricket gets, with the Australian returning to bat after being felled on 80 only to be trapped lbw to seamer Chris Woakes eight runs short of his third consecutive Ashes hundred.

Should he get through the three-day tour match against Derbyshire with no symptoms of concussion, Smith is set to lock horns with Archer again in Manchester for the fourth Ashes Test next week, and he says he will not be altering his approach that has netted him 378 in three innings this series.

"I'm not really going to change anything," Smith said.

"There's been a bit of talk that he's got the wood over me, but he hasn't actually got me out.

"He hit me on the head on a wicket that was a bit up and down at Lord's.

"He actually didn't get me out. All the other bowlers have had more success against me, I daresay.

"I've faced them a bit more, but they've all got me out a lot more.

"I'm pretty comfortable with that.

"Now it's just about getting out there and playing the game."

One of the boxes Smith had to tick in order to play in Derby was face short fast bowling in the nets to test his reaction speed and reflexes.

So on Sunday at Headingley on the western wing of the empty stadium, Smith faced Australian seamers Michael Neser and Mitch Marsh in the practice nets and came through unscathed.

While Neser and Marsh do not reach the electric speeds of Archer, Smith will get to face the likes of Mitch Starc, Pat Cummins and James Pattinson, who can all bowl beyond the 150kph mark, in the nets ahead of the fourth Test.

Smith is certain to get bounced at Old Trafford by Archer and England's pace attack, which has thrown everything and the kitchen sink at the world No.2 Test batsman so far this campaign, with Archer's short-ball barrage the only tactic to have had any notable impact.

But when asked if he is expecting more short-pitched bowling from England, Smith appeared to welcome it, knowing it rules out several modes of dismissals which would prevent him from doing what he loves most – batting.

"If they're bowling up there it means they can't nick me off, or hit me on the pad or hit the stumps," Smith said.

"With the Dukes ball I don't know, it's an interesting ploy.

"So we'll see what happens."

2019 Qantas Ashes Tour of England

Australia squad: Tim Paine (c), Cameron Bancroft, Pat Cummins, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Peter Siddle, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner.

England squad: Joe Root (c), Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jack Leach, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes (vc), Chris Woakes.

First Test: Australia beat England by 251 runs at Edgbaston

Second Test: Match drawn at Lord's

Third Test: England defeat Australia by one wicket at Headingley

Tour match: Australians v Derbyshire, August 29-31

Fourth Test: September 4-8, Old Trafford

Fifth Test: September 12-16, The Oval