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Anderson's bizarre tactic to combat Smith

With the Australian captain proving too good for England's bowlers in the first Test, seamer James Anderson reveals how he'll bowl to world's best Test batsman in Adelaide

If England are to force their way back in to the Magellan Ashes series they must find a way to dismiss Australia captain Steve Smith.

Smith was named player of the match for his unbeaten 141 in Australia's 10-wicket thumping of England at the Gabba, the skipper's sixth Ashes century in his 18th Test against the Three Lions.

Test wrap: Gabba fortress holds firm for Aussies

But the 28-year-old was made to work for his runs. It took 261 deliveries for Smith to reach triple figures in Brisbane in what was the slowest of his 21st Test centuries in terms of balls faced, as England bowled wide of off-stump with fielders on the boundary to limit his scoring options and tempt the right-hander into a false stroke.

In a staring contest between the world's best Test batsman and an England attack led by their two most prolific wicket-takers, the tourists blinked first.

Smith waited and waited for England to pitch it up and bowl at his body and when they did he capitalised by either nonchalantly rotating the strike or banishing a bad ball to the boundary as 89 of his 141 runs were scored on the leg side.

Skipper Smith's sublime Ashes century

His innings was the cornerstone of Australia's first innings total of 328 and helped turn a potential deficit at 4-76 and then 5-175 into a pivotal 26-run lead for his side.

Addressing the conundrum of bowling to Smith at today's press conference in Adelaide, veteran seamer James Anderson said you don't have to bowl differently to the unorthodox Australia captain, just don't look at him.

"I just think you've almost got to take him out of the picture when you're bowling because if your eyeline is watching him and what he's doing then I think it really distracts you from where you want the ball to go," Anderson said.

"You've got to really try and almost blank him out and really focus on where you want the ball to go.

"Obviously, the plans to him, I wouldn't say they didn't work, but we didn't get him out, so they worked to an extent.

"We dried his runs up and made him work really hard for his hundred but obviously we want to get him out.

"He was the difference between the two teams. That first-innings lead would've been huge for us.

"So, getting him out here will be crucial. Hopefully more pace in the wicket might help us, but we've just got to be as relentless as we possibly can to someone like that."

Bairstow 'headbutt' drama will galvanise us: Anderson

While the tactics against Smith failed to bear fruit, the plans England had in place for Australia's top order were much more fertile.

David Warner picked out the carefully positioned fielder at straight short mid-wicket with a half-hearted bunt to the leg-side, a tactic that worked wonders in the preceding Ashes series in 2015.

Standing deep in his crease, Peter Handscomb was delivered a volley of full-pitched balls before a clever, slightly slower off-cutter beat the defences of the Victorian and cannoned into his back pad to trap him leg before wicket.

Handscomb hungry to overcome run drought

And with a benign pitch offering no assistance to the fast bowlers, Stuart Broad, with catchers placed in front of the wicket, bowled a leg-cutter to Shaun Marsh, who on 51 scooped a checked drive to mid-off.

So while Plans A through to Z didn't work against Smith, Anderson says England can be pleased with the strategies employed against the remainder of Australia's batting unit.

Marsh strokes pretty fifty on Test recall

"The encouraging thing for us is we came up with plans to all their batsmen before the series started and probably 70 per cent of the them worked," Anderson said.

"For us that's encouraging, we can build on that.

"But there's still that small matter of someone getting 140 which we need to deal with.

"We know the dangers of David Warner at the top as well, so we've got to keep working hard at getting those guys out because we know how pivotal they are in their line-up."

2017-18 International Fixtures

Magellan Ashes Series

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

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 Adelaide Oval, December 2-6 (Day-Night). Tickets

Third Test WACA Ground, December 14-18. Tickets

Fourth Test MCG, December 26-30. Tickets

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