'I sort of took a back seat and just watched Brad go'

If Steve Smith was at all irritated by spending the press conference after hitting his third Test century on Friday talking almost exclusively about his Australian team mate Brad Haddin, he hid it very well.

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Smith's 115 was his second century of the series and helped Australia to finish the opening day of the fifth Ashes Test with 326 runs on the board and England already under the cosh at 8-1 as they battle to avoid a 5-0 series sweep.

It was a fifth rescue act in five Test matches in the series from Haddin, who came out 10 minutes after lunch with Australia reeling at 97-5 and scored a 90-ball 75 in a sixth wicket partnership of 128 with Smith.

"It's been outstanding hasn't it?" grinned Smith. "Being in tough circumstances, he just comes in and tries to shift the momentum of the game.

"He's done it on numerous occasions in this series and credit to him he's played beautifully. To be able to bat with him today and form another partnership was great for the team.

"Brad was great out there. He was great to bat with. I sort of took a back seat and just watched him go."

Haddin, 36, had to wait until Adam Gilchrist retired in 2008 to make his Test debut at the age of 30 and it has hardly been plain-sailing since.

After playing in two lost Ashes series, he walked away from Test cricket to be with his daughter Mia as she battled cancer two years ago.

Haddin showed great resilience to win back his place in the test side this year before embarking on his fourth Ashes series still looking for his first triumph.

It is not just the 465 runs at an average of 66.42, nor the five half centuries and one century he has scored in his last seven innings against England that have made him such a thorn in the side of the tourists.

It is more the timing of his interventions, repeatedly standing up when England have done what is perceived to have been the hard work of removing Australia's top order.

Having been through three successive Ashes series defeats, there is no doubt at all that he is thoroughly enjoying Australia being on top against their oldest rivals.

"I think Brad enjoys getting into a little bit of banter on the field and he certainly thrives when the England players are coming at him and he's done it beautifully all series," Smith added.

"It's always tough to bowl at someone when he's coming at you the way he is and the way he's striking the ball this whole series, they don't really know where to bowl."

Haddin is paceman Mitchell Johnson's only rival for player of the series honours and Smith laughed when asked about rumours circulating on Twitter that the Sydney Test might be the wicketkeeper's last before retirement.

"It's news to me," Smith said. "I think Brad's in the form of his career at the moment.

"It's up to him if he wants to leave the game, he's certainly playing great cricket and he'd be a big loss to the Australian team, that's for sure, if he does decide to retire."