Sublime Smith has Root feeling the heat: Waugh

Australia captain Steve Smith's prolific run-scoring in the Magellan Ashes has had an adverse effect on his England counterpart Joe Root, according to Test great Steve Waugh.

Smith had amassed 604 runs and three centuries in the series before walking out to bat at the SCG on the second day, to move him to second place on the International Cricket Council's all-time Test batting rankings, behind only Sir Donald Bradman.

Meanwhile, Root has posted four half-centuries without reaching triple figures as he and his charges fight to get on the series scoreboard before the campaign ends in a matter of days.

Not only have Smith's runs driven Australia to three victories and a draw this summer, they have left Root trying to play catch up with his direct rival who is streets ahead and getting further away.

Waugh says the pressure Smith is applying through sheer weight of runs is one reason why Root has failed to live up to his potential in his first Ashes series as captain.

There was perhaps no greater example of Waugh's philosophy than late on day one in the SCG shadows as a shattered Root slumped to the ground having thrown his wicket away on 83 with just two overs remaining in the day.

"(Smith) puts a lot of pressure on the opposition captain because of what he's doing," Waugh told cricket.com.au in Sydney.

"I'm sure Joe Root is saying, 'If he's getting those runs I have really got to get them for my team'.

"And when Joe Root's missed out a couple of times it keeps putting more and more pressure on him.

"(Smith) does have a big influence on the outcome of the series not just because he's scoring runs but because but the opposition captain feels he has to keep up with him."

Waugh, who played an Australian-record 168 Tests and scored 10,927 runs in the Baggy Green, has been in awe of Smith and his evolution into the world's premier batsman.

"He's been incredible," said Waugh.

"He goes from strength to strength and whenever someone doubts him he comes out the next day and proves them wrong. He's very adaptable and he learns quickly.

"He's a really unique sort of batsman. He almost taunts the bowlers.

"I liken him to a matador in a bullring. He's got that red rag out there and waving the bowlers to come and bowl here and then all of a sudden he'll make it disappear and get them to bowl somewhere else.

"He really does frustrate the bowlers and tricks them into bowling to him where he wants the ball to come."

Smith – unorthodox yet successful – is changing the way cricket will be taught for generations to come, according to the former Test captain.

"I don't think I've seen a player hit the ball into gaps as well as he does," Waugh said.

"He rarely plays an attacking shot and hits the fieldsman, it generally goes in the gap.

"He's got a great ability to pierce the field and he hits the ball late, he can hit the ball early – he's got all the shots.

"Ninety per cent of them aren't in the textbook, so he's re-writing Calling all Cricketers, which is what I grew up on."

2017-18 International Fixtures

Magellan Ashes Series

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

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 Match drawn. Scorecard

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

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