Ashes 2019: Broad can't wait for 'awesome' Archer-Smith battle

London, Sep 2: Stuart Broad cannot wait to see Jofra Archer bowl to Steve Smith in the fourth Ashes Test at Old Trafford.

The prolific Smith will return to Australia's team in Manchester on Wednesday, having been ruled out of the third Test with concussion after he was struck on the neck by a hostile Archer delivery at Lord's.

Archer's duel with Smith, whose three innings in the series have yielded scores of 144, 142 and 92, made for fascinating viewing, although Australia's star batsman has been keen to make the point he was not dismissed by the Test debutant.

Broad is now excited to witness what happens next, as England aim to build on their series-levelling win at Headingley that owed much to Ben Stokes' heroics.

"First thing, it's great Steve is okay and coming back into Test cricket but Test cricket is a brutal sport where countries go hell for leather against each other," Broad was quoted as saying by the Guardian.

"I'm sure when Steve comes in, Jofra will be in [England captain] Joe Root's ear wanting the ball, no doubt about that.

"It was a really tasty bit of cricket at Lord's. Smith was on 80, playing beautifully, and Jofra went from 84mph to 95mph. He was really charging in. That sort of cricket is awesome to watch on the telly or from the stands but when you're stood at mid-on, it's pretty special. Hopefully, we can have a battle like that again.

"The dream is someone nicks him [Smith] off the first ball and Jofra doesn't get to bowl at him but he doesn't average 60-odd for nothing. There will be a period in this game where those two come together again and - touch wood - I'm on the pitch to view it."