Third Ashes Test: Five players who need to stand up and be counted

3. Steve Smith

Talented, robust and free flowing, Steve Smith has been projected as a prodigy of sorts, and as the future of Australian cricket. But promises and projections are best left off the field. Steve needs to perform on it and he has all the skills necessary to do it.

Sandwiched between captain Clarke and Brad Haddin the wicket keeper, Steve can form a bastion in the middle order. This wall is going to be necessary in the middle order, considering that the duo of Anderson and Broad have been in great form and have been able to pick up the fragile and unsettled top order easily. Late and middle order resistances have always proved to be greatly disliked and a source of great irritation to oppositions.

Steve has had a fifty in the first Test and the time has come for him to step up and get under the skin of the Englishmen.