Smith Eyes Grenada Test Return After Injury Recovery

After securing a dominant victory in the opening Test against the West Indies in Barbados, the Australian team may receive an additional boost with the potential return of Steve Smith. The veteran batter is expected to join the squad in Grenada by Sunday, raising hopes for his participation in the second Test.

Steve Smith sidelined after finger injury in WTC Final © Getty

Pat Cummins, the Australian captain, confirmed that Smith has resumed batting practice following the finger dislocation he sustained during the World Test Championship Final. Smith had traveled to New York to continue his rehabilitation, which caused him to miss the first Test match.

Cummins stated, "He's had a few hits over in New York, which I think was with a tennis ball and an incredi-ball. 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 reduced to 22/3, and in the second, all four top-order batsmen were dismissed with only 65 runs on the board. This occurred even with Marnus Labuschagne being dropped. However, Cummins emphasized that the team management would continue to support their younger players.

"You saw today how tricky a wicket that was, there weren't too many 50-run partnerships throughout the whole game," Cummins remarked. "Of course, the top order would like to score some more runs. The challenge of Test cricket, especially for young players, is when you get thrown different conditions, you've got to find a way to be effective. That's the challenge for our young batting group."

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