Steve Smith Poised for Grenada Test Return After Injury Layoff

Steve Smith Eyes Return for Grenada Test

Steve Smith is likely to feature in the second Test against the West Indies in Grenada, providing a significant boost to the Australian squad. The match is scheduled to commence on July 3.

Having already secured a dominant victory in the first Test in Barbados within three days, Australia's chances are further bolstered by the potential return of the experienced batsman.

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 following the finger dislocation he sustained during the World Test Championship Final. After the final, Smith traveled to New York to continue his rehabilitation, which resulted in him missing the first Test match.

Cummins commented, "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."

Despite the victory, Australia's top order struggled in the first Test without Smith, particularly after Marnus Labuschagne was dropped. 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. However, Cummins has expressed confidence in the team's young batsmen.

Cummins acknowledged the challenging conditions of the wicket, stating, "You saw today how tricky a wicket that was, there weren't too many 50-run partnerships throughout the whole game. 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 marks a significant occasion as it will be the first-ever Test match played in Grenada.