Jonathan Agnew has given his take on Smith in his latest BBC column.

He describes the Australian as a "total one-off".

Aggers has also provides some thoughts on how England should bowl at him in the rest of the series.

Read it here.

That looks really wet! England's hopes of a draw increase...

Dave: Live scenes @lancscricket. Chances of play this morning: minimal. Chances of multiple tea rounds: high.

Image source, Twitter

Jack Skelton
BBC Sport at Old Trafford

There are 30 to 40 foolhardy/brave (delete as appropriate) fans currently in the party stand as the rain whips across the top of their heads.

It's still raining at Old Trafford. Play is officially delayed.

Glenn McGrath
Ex-Australia bowler on BBC Test Match Special

That's easily the most relaxed I've heard Steve Smith.

Australia batsman Steve Smith, speaking to TMS, on his mannerisms: "I don't know I'm doing it most of the time. When I'm in my bubble, it just comes about."

On Marnus Labuschagne, who made 67: "He's much stranger than I am. I was saying it to Stokes and Bairstow, but they said, 'you can't be saying that."

Ian Blyth: Steve Smith celebrates every century with a big bar of Dairy Milk? It's a good job it's only a five-match series, he'd be diabetic by Christmas!

Ominous signs...

Ebony Rainford-Brent
Ex-England batter on BBC Test Match Special

It's worrying that Smith has been scoring runs when he hasn't been sleeping well.

Australia batsman Steve Smith, who made 211, on TMS: "I slept very well. This is probably the best I've slept throughout a Test in a long time. I've just started listening to the rain app on my phone. It has worked. I'll just keep running with that."

Those quotes are from a great interview Smith did with TMS this morning. He sounds so relaxed. If you missed it we'll bring you the best bits now.

Australia batsman Steve Smith, speaking to TMS, on what he did after making 211: "I went home, had a little bit of dinner and Peter Siddle popped over to Sainsbury's and got me a big block of Dairy Milk. That's my treat - when I get a hundred I reward myself with chocolate.

"I got stuck into that. I usually finish it but I've got some left over."

What size bar? "The big ones, definitely. When you spend some time out in the middle, you reward yourself properly. I jut like the plain stuff."

Image source, Getty Images

Jack Skelton
BBC Sport at Old Trafford

Exclusive update - it is very, very wet.

For all of England's issues, yesterday once again belonged to Steve Smith.

He has already dominated this series with the bat, despite missing the last game after his concussion, but on day two made his highest score so far.

He averages 147.25 in this series with two hundreds and a double century.

Despite not playing until August this year, Smith is the highest run-scorer in Tests in 2019 with 589 from four innings

Remarkable.

I'm taking from the thumbs up, thumbs down ratio on my earlier posts about the weather that England fans are already banking on the rain to save England.

I don't want to keep going over old ground but here are those missed chances for England's difficult day yesterday.

Steve Smith was dropped on 65 and dismissed off a no-ball on 118 before making 211.

Tim Paine was dropped on nine and 49 and made 58.

It could have been different.

This is the forecast for the day. The rain is expected to stop later on.

England are going to have to bat at some point today.

Patrick Brennan: Excellent work from Rain this morning. Really turning into England's MVP.