Steve Smith Set to Return for Australia's Second Test Against West Indies

Steve Smith is making a strong recovery from a finger injury sustained during the World Test Championship final. He is expected to return for Australia's second Test against the West Indies in Grenada. Coach Andrew McDonald has confirmed that Smith will likely bat at No. 4, emphasizing his crucial role in stabilizing the batting order. With Smith's availability, there may be changes in the team lineup, including the potential release of Marnus Labuschagne for other matches. Read on for more details about Smith's recovery and the upcoming Test match.
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Steve Smith Set to Return for Australia's Second Test Against West Indies

Steve Smith's Recovery Progress

New Delhi [India] June 29: After suffering a compound fracture during the World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord's, Steve Smith is on track to be fit for Australia's upcoming second Test against the West Indies in Grenada.


Smith has been training in New York over the past week, where he has been practicing with a tennis ball, as reported by ESPNcricinfo.


Australia's head coach, Andrew McDonald, is optimistic about Smith's return to the No. 4 batting position, which may lead to Josh Inglis being dropped from the playing XI.


“The focus is on how well his finger functions rather than any other concerns. There’s no long-term risk to his health. He will be back, and I believe he will play. He will participate in the main training session two days before the match,” McDonald stated, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.


Smith's injury occurred when he dropped a catch from Temba Bavuma on the third day of the match at Lord's.


McDonald discussed the rationale behind keeping Smith at No. 4, emphasizing his role in stabilizing the batting order and his importance to the team, despite the possibility of promoting him higher in the lineup.


“We’ve decided to keep him at No. 4 because of his ability to stabilize that position. He’s arguably our best batter, and we want to build around him rather than risk too many changes in the batting order,” he added.


With Smith available for the remainder of the series, there is a chance that Marnus Labuschagne, who was left out of the first Test for the first time since 2019, may be released to play for Glamorgan or in the Australia A series against Sri Lanka A, according to ESPNcricinfo.


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