Day Wrap: Smith, Marsh put the hurt on England

What will hurt Stuart Broad the most is that Australian fans have suddenly stopped booing him.

The pantomime villain of England's last tour here in 2013-14 looks far removed from the superhero who torpedoed Australian Ashes dreams in 2009, 2013 and 2015.

Now he looks about as threatening as a poodle, albeit a grumpy one.

It's true Broad has saved his best for home Ashes series. But four years ago, when he was catcalled and jeered throughout Australia after his refusal to walk in the Nottingham Ashes Test of 2013, he was England's best bowler, taking 21 wickets at 27.52. Only Australia's Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris took more.

Flashback: Stuart Broad's big 2013 Gabba haul

Four years on, and now into his 32nd year, time appears to be catching up with the Nottinghamshire bowler.

By stumps on day three of this third Ashes Test he had taken just five wickets across the series at 55.80.

Indeed, those jeers were replaced by cheers when he conceded his 100th run of the innings after Mitch Marsh creamed him through the covers for four late in the day.

Marsh answers critics with maiden Test century

Broad has only twice before conceded a century of runs without taking a wicket – on a dead track against West Indies in Barbados back in 2009 and when South Africa's Hashim Amla scored an imperious unbeaten triple-hundred at The Oval in 2012.

What might be more worrying for Broad, though, is the fact he has now gone 47 overs without a wicket in this series.

So, if the 2009 Ashes Test at The Oval – when his spell of 5-37 effectively won England the series – made Broad's career could this one be the one to break him?

Despite starting the series relatively well, he has been shown up badly on a fast Perth pitch. Okay, it might not offer any conventional swing but Broad should not be outperformed by Craig Overton, a bowler of similar height but who is slower and playing just his second Test at the age of 23, not to mention carrying injury with a hairline fracture of a rib.

Overton goes off field with rib injury

Broad's lack of aggression was particularly telling against Steve Smith, who despite the brilliance of his innings here has been allowed to dominate England's rather meek attack.

As a senior player – and his country's second most-prolific Test bowler – Broad must set an example. James Anderson, number one on England's all-time list, is culpable too. But at least he has been relatively economical.

Broad's 28 wicketless overs so far in this match at the WACA have gone for 112 runs at an economy rate of 4.0.

They are figures a world away from the 8-15 he took at Trent Bridge to destroy Australia in 2015 or the 6-22 at Durham that sealed the 2013 Ashes series for England.

Sit back and enjoy Steve Smith's full highlights

On days like this, one wonders whether we'll ever see one of those Ashes spells from Broad again.

When he climbed above Ian Botham into second on England's all-time wicket-taking list in August, Broad said he would almost certainly be around for the next home Ashes series in 2019.

"Oh God, yes, I hope so," he said. "I'd certainly hope my performances will keep improving to be a part of that Ashes for sure. I'm 31 now and still feel like I have quite a bit of cricket left in me."

Smith identifies two major Ashes threats

However, the decision could be taken out of his hands if this tour is the start of a wider general downturn in his performances.

After being hit through the covers for four by Smith on day two of this match, Shane Warne, commentating on Channel Nine, remarked of Broad: "He needs to find another gear – you can't just roll up and bowl that rubbish. It looks like a throwdown. He is better than that. He needs to be better than that."

The problem for England was that Broad wasn't much better on the third day.

Day Wrap: Smith, Marsh put the hurt on England

This performance at the WACA is reminiscent of Broad's tour of India in 2012, when he appeared to lose enthusiasm for the task in hand on flat pitches very quickly. That saw him lambasted at the time by David Saker, Australia's bowling coach who then worked for England.

In Broad's defence, he was suffering from an injury at the time.

The lacerated fat pad on his left heel sustained on that tour five years ago remains an ongoing issue and is a reason why he has bespoke boots to protect it from flaring up again.

Maybe that injury is an issue again, as it was at the start of the northern summer just gone?

Whatever the problem, Broad will be affronted by the lack of spite being thrown in his direction by the Australian crowd at the WACA.

'Look at them go': Broad, Smith get fired up

Speaking before the series on being booed, he said: "It's exciting, it's a great feeling, it's not something you're going to get when you retire.

"They are moments you have to remember because it doesn't last forever. You're better off getting jeered than nothing. At least if you're jeered, someone has heard of you or they think you're a threat."

Perhaps Australians no longer think he is. The fact they are now cheering him – for bowling badly – seems to suggest so.

2017-18 International Fixtures

Magellan Ashes Series

Australia Test squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Cameron Bancroft, Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun 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 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