Steve Smith Poised for Grenada Test Return After Finger Injury Layoff

Steve Smith Eyes Grenada Test Return After Finger Injury

Steve Smith, the experienced Australian batter, is in contention to feature in the second Test against the West Indies in Grenada. This follows Australia's dominant victory in the first Test in Barbados.

After dislocating a finger during the World Test Championship Final, Smith missed the opening match. He returned to his home in New York for rehabilitation.

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

Captain Pat Cummins confirmed Smith has resumed batting practice. "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," Cummins stated after the first Test win.

The potential return of Smith could provide a significant boost to Australia's batting lineup, which struggled in the first Test despite the victory. With Marnus Labuschagne absent, the top order faltered, being reduced to 22/3 in the first innings and 65/4 in the second.

Cummins acknowledged the top order's struggles but expressed confidence in the younger players. "You saw today how tricky a wicket that was, there weren't too many 50-run partnerships throughout the whole game," he said. "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, a historic first for Grenada, is scheduled to commence on July 3.