Steven Smith defends under-fire England coach

Australia skipper Steven Smith came to the rescue of under-fire England coach Trevor Bayliss with the visitors already conceding the Ashes urn after trailing 0-3 in the five-match rubber.

"Sometimes it's a bit harsh to lay a lot of the blame on the coach," Smith told reporters here.

"In the end they're not the ones out there playing, it's the players and they have to take some responsibility as well.

"It's always tough for an opposing coach or captain when you're away and you're 0-3 down and having lost the series already with two games to play," he added.

Smith is among the many Australian players to have thrived under the guidance of Bayliss.

Bayliss was the coach who promoted Smith to first drop at New South Wales and asked him to captain the Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League.