Steve Smith Eyes Grenada Test Return After Injury Layoff

Smith Set to Bolster Australia's Lineup for Grenada Test

Following their dominant victory in the opening Test in Barbados, Australia could receive a further boost with Steve Smith potentially joining the squad for the second Test in Grenada. The veteran batsman is on track to recover from a finger injury sustained during the World Test Championship Final.

Steve Smith sidelined for the first Test after finger dislocation in WTC final © Getty

Pat Cummins, the Australian captain, confirmed that Smith has resumed batting practice after dislocating his finger. After the WTC Final, Smith traveled to New York to continue his rehabilitation, resulting in his absence from the first Test against the West Indies.

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 the first Test without Smith, despite their victory. Marnus Labuschagne was dropped, and the team was reduced to 22/3 in the first innings and 65/4 in the second.

Cummins, however, expressed confidence in the younger batsmen. He said, "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, the first ever to be held in Grenada, is scheduled to commence on July 3.