Smith in Line for Grenada Test Return After Finger Injury

Steve Smith Eyes Return for Grenada Test

Steve Smith is in contention to rejoin the Australian squad for the second Test against the West Indies in Grenada, after missing the first match due to a finger injury.

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

Australia secured a dominant victory in the first Test in Barbados within three days. The potential return of Steve Smith would provide a further boost to the team. He is expected to arrive by Sunday.

Captain Pat Cummins confirmed that Smith has resumed batting practice following the dislocation he suffered during the World Test Championship Final. After the final, Smith traveled to New York to continue his rehabilitation, which ruled him out of the first Test.

"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.

Despite their victory, Australia's top order struggled in the first Test without Smith, particularly after Marnus Labuschagne was dropped. They were reduced to 22/3 in the first innings and 65/4 in the second. However, Cummins emphasized the team's support for 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, a historic event being the first ever Test held in Grenada, is scheduled to commence on July 3.