Steve Smith says adaptability is Australia's focus heading into the second Ashes Test at the Gabba

As England's Bazball tactics go on trial at the Gabba, Steve Smith has defined the Aussie approach to Test cricket that the hosts are hoping to ride to a 2–0 Ashes series lead.

Smith was asked to outline the Australian way of playing Test cricket ahead of the day-night match that begins on Thursday.

The veteran batter, without flinching, had a simple response — one that flies squarely in the face of England's positive, if contrived, Bazball brand.

"Adapting to conditions and what's in front of us, playing the game in real time [is the Australian way]," Smith said.

"I think that's one thing this team's done really well for a period of time, being able to sum up the conditions, play what's in front of us in live time."

That adapt-or-perish mindset appeared integral to Australia's eight-wicket defeat of England in the Perth series opener.

When a back injury sidelined Usman Khawaja, middle-order aggressor Travis Head was sent out to open as his side chased second-innings runs on a tricky deck.

As recently as the tour of Sri Lanka in February, Head had told reporters he doubted he would ever open the batting at Test level in home conditions.

But heeding the call in the unfamiliar role, he smacked the rapid-fire century that ultimately won Australia the game and sealed their 1–0 series lead.

Adaptability has been the name of the game in the lead-up to the second Test, too: from needing to replace Khawaja in the XI two days before the toss, to Smith's strips of eye tape that will be used to combat the glare of the Gabba floodlights.

As Smith sees it, the demands of day-night cricket make adaptability all the more important.

"[With the] pink ball, anything's possible," Smith said.

"We've been pretty open in the past about having two nightwatchmen and things like that.

"It's a completely different game, you've got to play what's in front of you at any given stage."

England, in a way, will take the opposite approach into the Gabba as they hope to level the Ashes.

The tourists' aggression with the bat backfired in the second innings of the series opener as they lost 5–23 in a day-two collapse.

The tourists' Bazball philosophy is built on remaining proactive at all costs, and captain Ben Stokes reiterated his faith in that mindset on Wednesday.

"Mindset is everything when it comes to sport in general," he said.

"I have got complete trust in the players we select to go out there with the mentality of being that person who is going to influence the game the right way for us.

"Sometimes it doesn't work out that way, but you've heard from a couple of us that we addressed last week and assessed certain moments in that game and definitely take some lessons.

"It is a chance for us this week to do what we want to do and win the Ashes."

AAP