Steve Smith Eyes Grenada Test Return After Injury Recovery

Australia, fresh off their victory in the opening Test against the West Indies in Barbados, may soon receive another significant boost. Steve Smith, the experienced batter, is expected to join the squad by Sunday, potentially featuring in the second Test in Grenada.

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

Captain Pat Cummins confirmed that Smith has resumed batting practice after recovering from the finger dislocation he sustained during the World Test Championship Final. Following the final, Smith traveled to New York to continue his rehabilitation, which led to him missing 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."

Despite securing a win, Australia's top order struggled in the first Test without Smith, especially after Marnus Labuschagne was dropped. They were quickly reduced to 22/3 in the first innings and found themselves at 65/4 in the second. Cummins, however, emphasized the team's commitment to supporting their younger batsmen.

"You saw today how tricky a wicket that was, there weren't too many 50-run partnerships throughout the whole game," Cummins noted. "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 3rd.