220 balls, 131 runs, no wickets: Embarrassing numbers expose laughably one-sided Steve Smith vs. Jofra Archer rivalry

Steve Smith and Jofra Archer have been tied to each other for the past six years - but can the long-standing issue between the pair even be labelled a true rivalry?

Since the famous moment during the 2019 series when Smith was concussed by an Archer short ball, the careers of the two stars have been intertwined.

That moment will forever be etched into Ashes folklore and the two polar opposites were at loggerheads on Sunday night when the second Test was nearing its climax.

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Archer, clearly frustrated with how the match and series to date have transpired, took aim at Smith's aggressive approach with England's lowly total in sight.

The injury-plagued quick told Smith that he "likes to play shots when there's not much on the scoreboard" as the Aussies closed in on a 2-0 series lead.

Smith, usually far more reserved and happy to go about his business, took the bait and produced a cutting one-liner that sparked a social media frenzy.

"You bowl fast when there's nothing going on, champion," the Aussie captain said.

Archer was even copping it from Ricky Ponting in the commentary booth.

"Jofra's finally come to life. When the second Test match is gone he starts chirping. Too late for that, champ," the former Australian captain said on Seven.

"That's what Smithy said to him as well. Bowling quick now when the game's over, good onya. Now they're all getting started. Too late boys.

"You've had your chance for four days. Haven't been good enough, too late to start."

The comments from Smith and Ponting came from a place of pure Ashes emotion, but they actually hold weight if you look at how the Barbados-born quick has performed.

In the first innings, while he was more economical than his England teammates with the ball, Archer was sending down deliveries far below his top speed.

Across his multiple spells on Friday and Saturday in the first innings, the rapid right-arm speedster was bowling below 140km/h on average.

But when a victory was out of reach in the second innings and Australia were chipping away at the 65-run chase with relative ease, Archer upped the ante and was sending down genuine thunderbolts at 150km/h to Smith and Jake Weatherald.

In the over where he and Smith went toe-to-toe, Archer clocked his two fastest balls of the entire match at 151.6 and 151.8km/h respectively.

The only issue? Smith hit him for back-to-back boundaries, getting another small win on the board in what has become a very one-sided battle.

In the series opener at Perth Stadium, it was the opposite story - not only for Archer, but for the entire England fast-bowling cartel, who averaged 141km/h across the board.

That was England's highest average bowling speed in a day of Test cricket since those records began almost two decades ago.

Archer now holds the unwanted record of having bowled more deliveries to Smith without dismissing him at Test level than any other player.

He moved ahead of Vernon Philander in the very specific but damning statistic and has now bowled 220 balls and conceded 131 runs without knocking Smith over.

Of course, there's always a chance Archer could send Smith packing next week or even multiple times throughout the remainder of the series.

But in the mental game of the Ashes, right now it's the 36-year-old Aussie batter who has the upper-hand on Archer heading into a must-watch Adelaide showdown.

"What history do I have with him?" Smith said with a wry smile post-game.

"He was bowling good pace. Not really too sure what he said, not sure what I said either. It's not really any of your business either so we'll leave it out there."

Social media has also been buzzing over two posts since the Sunday night run-in.

Two years ago, Smith shut down the idea that he had been "terrorised" by Archer and pointed out the fact he had never been dismissed by him.

But the wildest Tweet to resurface was one from Archer in 2013, where he reacted to Smith's quickfire innings at the time.

It referenced the same score Smith ended up with on Sunday.

England great Michael Vaughan is hopeful the spicy exchange and history will motivate Archer to really hammer down from ball one in the third Test.

"Great theatre but I will be honest, I want to see Jofra bowling like this in the first innings in Adelaide," he said during the Fox Cricket broadcast.

"I want to see Jofra run in and bowl 150. He's got it in him, we have seen that. England are struggling to get 20 wickets. He's the one bowler I think could crack open an opportunity for England, but he has to run in and bowl like that in the first innings.

"Not when you're defending 65 and the lights are on and you're only going to bowl four or five overs, I want to see that on the first morning."

The 30-year-old also copped some tongue-in-cheek criticism from Matthew Hayden after a photo surfaced of the England bowler arriving to the ground with a pillow.

"I'm sorry, but that's a shocking look," Hayden said on Seven's broadcast.

"If I was a batsman, I tell you what I'd be doing, I'd be digging in.

"It would be exactly what you need as a batsman, I can tell you. You'd be looking over and thinking 'you are never going to sleep on that'.

"Not any part of this day are you going to see that. Not even in the night."

Archer has taken three wickets for 171 runs across the two Tests - with an average of 57 - which is not pretty reading for England fans who were relying on him to shine.

If the visitors are any chance of coming from two games down and somehow reclaiming the Ashes urn this summer, Archer needs to find his mojo as soon as possible.