Australia’s head coach Andrew McDonald is hopeful that Steve Smith will make a comeback for the second Test against the West Indies. Smith, widely praised for his exceptional batting skills, missed the first Test due to a finger injury sustained during the intense World Test Championship final.
Smith Set to Feature in Grenada Test
The experienced Australian batter was forced to sit out the opening match against the West Indies after the injury. Since then, Smith has been working hard on his recovery, even traveling to New York where he practiced hitting tennis balls in the nets before rejoining the team in Birmingham last Saturday evening.
According to ESPNCricinfo, Smith still needs to clear a few medical checks before getting the official green light to play in the upcoming Grenada Test, scheduled to start on July 3. However, McDonald expressed confidence that the finger injury won’t pose a long-term problem.
“It’s really about how functional the finger is, rather than any lasting damage. There’s no risk to the long-term health of the finger. He’ll be back, and I think it’s likely he’ll play. He’ll have a key training session two days before the match,” McDonald said.
Returning to His Preferred Spot
McDonald also confirmed that Smith is expected to return to his favored number four batting position. This means that Josh Inglis, who has been filling in as a keeper-batter, may have to make way for the star player.
“He’ll train the day before the match as well, and if all goes smoothly, I expect him to resume at number four,” McDonald added.
A Much-Needed Boost for Australia’s Batting
Without Smith, Australia struggled with the bat in the first innings of the opening Test in Barbados. While Travis Head impressed with back-to-back half-centuries, other key batters like Sam Konstas, Cameron Green, and Josh Inglis failed to make a significant impact across both innings.
Smith’s return is expected to bring stability and experience to a fragile Australian batting lineup as they look to wrap up the series with a win in Grenada.
