“He has hurt England so often,” Sky Sports’ Michael Atherton said after Steve Smith’s latest Ashes century, his 13th.

And England fans may have to steel themselves to spend yet more time watching Smith and all of his eccentricities at the crease – and not just into day four of this fifth Ashes Test in Sydney, where he sits 129 not out overnight.

Rumours of a potential retirement alongside Usman Khawaja were rejected prior to this Test, Smith telling reporters: “It’s a shame he’s gone, now I’m the oldest one here.

“I want to keep playing, I’m still enjoying it. We’ve got a really good team.

“I’ve said for a while I’m taking it day by day, series by series and we’ll see where things land.

“I feel like I’m doing alright at the moment, I’m contributing and having fun so there’s no real end date for me.”

With Joe Root having entertained the possibility of playing on a further four years until the next Ashes tour in 2029/30, when he’ll be 39 years old, whose to say Smith couldn’t do the same at 40?

If he were to, much like Root and his pursuit of Sachin Tendulkar’s record haul of Test runs and centuries, Smith would go on in search of greatness, specifically with regard to his Ashes record.

Smith’s 37th Test hundred, delivered with such certainty on the third afternoon in Sydney, was his 13th in Ashes cricket and took him clear of Jack Hobbs’ tally among run-getters in cricket’s greatest rivalry, second only to the legendary Don Bradman.

“I would have put my mortgage on Steve Smith getting a hundred,” Atherton said on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast.

“He has had a quiet series, he missed out on a good batting pitch in Adelaide because he wasn’t well, but he loves his home ground in Sydney – his fifth hundred here – and he is a brilliant Ashes player.”

Atherton added: “I like watching Smith bat. He’s full of quirks, he’s very idiosyncratic and just a fantastic player. I think he’s the best Test batter of his generation.”

Those ‘quirks’ were on full display on day three at the SCG, with Smith’s antics out in the middle, while not of equal frustration to England as the runs he piled on against them, only adding to his particular brand of nuisance.

Smith twice ended up flat on his back when exaggeratedly evading England’s short-ball tactics – performing a near roly-poly to evade one Josh Tongue bouncer.

He chuntered to himself after failing to cash in on a specific Jacob Bethell delivery, exclaiming afterwards: “That’s awful, absolute throwdown”.

There were further distractions offered by movement behind the bowler’s arm and the glare off Brydon Carse’s sunglasses, which he asked for the England quick to wear on the back of his head.

“I’d have been completely obstinate and kept my sunglasses on,” Atherton suggested.

Smith can’t help get under the opposition’s skin… and he sees it a sign he’s in for a big score.

“I don’t know I am doing it,” Smith told TNT Sports after the day’s play. “When I am doing all of those things it probably means I am in a good zone.”

Travis Head, who has generally subbed in as chief England destroyer during this series – his 160 on day three adding to his series-leading tally of 600 runs at an average of 66.66 – is certainly keen to see Smith continue for a while yet.

“He prides himself on his batting ability, but also his leadership. He’s obviously stood in when Cummo [captain Pat Cummins] has not been here.

“He’s done a fantastic job when he has done that. I think that’s also a motivation to continue.

“It feels that way, and he’s just wanting to contribute to this team and win as many Test matches as possible.

“While he’s enjoying it, he’s going to hang around. I hope he plays for a long time.”

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