Steve Smith is aiming to make a return for the second Test against the West Indies after recovering from a finger injury. The injury, a compound dislocation of his right little finger, occurred while attempting a catch during the World Test Championship final. Fortunately, the 36-year-old avoided surgery. He missed the first Test against the West Indies due to the injury.
Instead of remaining idle during his recovery, Smith took an unconventional approach to regain his batting form. He ventured to a baseball field in New York City, where he owns an apartment, and utilized a batting cage to practice. Smith said that the batting cage was located under a bridge and was ideal because it was warm and shaded.
Smith began his training regimen by facing tennis balls and other soft balls before progressing to cricket balls. This allowed him to gradually test his finger and get used to holding the bat again. He noted that he initially used a slightly larger splint, which made it challenging to get his hand into the glove. After his stitches were removed, he was fitted with a smaller splint, making it easier to grip the bat. Smith also recorded his batting sessions and sent the footage to the Australian medical team in the Caribbean, who were impressed with his progress.
Smith has rejoined his teammates in the Caribbean and is expected to participate in full practice on Tuesday. Coach Andrew McDonald anticipates Smith will be fit for the second Test, where he's expected to resume his position at number four. Smith himself is optimistic about his return, stating that he doesn't feel any pain and is getting used to the splint and limited movement. He added that hitting the ball felt completely fine.
However, Smith will have to adjust his fielding position due to the injury. He won't be able to field in his usual position in the slips and will instead field in front of the wicket, possibly at mid-on, mid-off, or fine leg. Smith acknowledged that fielding in those positions would be a different experience for him.
With Smith's expected return, Josh Inglis is likely to make way in the batting lineup. Inglis had scores of 5 and 12 in the first Test. Despite Australia winning the first Test by 159 runs, the top-order struggled, with only Usman Khawaja scoring more than 15 runs. Smith has expressed confidence in the top-order batsmen, including Sam Konstas and Cameron Green, and believes they will perform well with more opportunities.
