Smith Eyes Grenada Test Return After Finger Injury: Boost for Australia?

Australia's cricket team, fresh off their victory in the opening Test against the West Indies in Barbados, may soon receive another boost. Steve Smith, the experienced batter, is expected to join the squad in Grenada by Sunday, potentially playing in the second Test.

Steve Smith missed the opening Test after dislocating a finger during the WTC final © Getty

Pat Cummins, the Australian captain, confirmed that Smith has resumed batting practice after dislocating his finger during the World Test Championship Final. Following the final, Smith traveled to New York for rehabilitation, causing him to miss the first Test match.

Cummins stated, "He's had a few hits over in New York... I think his wound is looking good, so the next stage is to come over here and hit some balls in the nets. So we'll know more over the next few days."

The Australian top order struggled in Smith's absence during the first Test, despite the team's victory. In the first innings, they were at 22/3, and in the second, all top four batsmen were out with only 65 runs on the board. However, Cummins emphasized that the team management would continue to support their young players.

"You saw today how tricky a wicket that was, there weren't too many 50-run partnerships throughout the whole game," Cummins noted. "Of course, the top order would like to score some more runs... That's the challenge for our young batting group."

The second Test match, which will be the first-ever Test held in Grenada, is scheduled to begin on July 3.