Smith Eyes Grenada Test Return After Injury Layoff

Following Australia's dominant victory in the opening Test against the West Indies in Barbados, the team could receive a further boost with Steve Smith potentially joining the squad for the second Test in Grenada.

Steve Smith sidelined after finger injury in WTC final © Getty

Captain Pat Cummins confirmed that Smith has resumed batting practice after recovering from a dislocated finger sustained during the World Test Championship Final. After the final, Smith 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...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 securing a win in the first Test, Australia's top order struggled in Smith's absence, particularly with Marnus Labuschagne being dropped. In the first innings, they were reduced to 22/3, and in the second innings, the top four were all out with only 65 runs on the board. Cummins emphasized the team's commitment to supporting their young batsmen.

"You saw today how tricky a wicket that was, there weren't too many 50-run partnerships throughout the whole game," Cummins commented. "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 event as the first-ever Test in Grenada, is scheduled to commence on July 3.