Steve Smith Eyes Grenada Test Return After Injury Recovery

Australia's cricket team, fresh off their victory in the opening Test against the West Indies in Barbados, may soon receive another boost. Steve Smith, the experienced batter, is expected to join the squad by Sunday, raising hopes for his participation in the second Test.

Steve Smith's finger injury kept him out of the first Test match © Getty

Pat Cummins, the Australian captain, confirmed that Smith has resumed practicing after recovering from a dislocated finger sustained during the World Test Championship Final. Following the final, Smith traveled to New York to continue his rehabilitation, which caused him to miss the first Test match against the West Indies.

Cummins stated, "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."

The absence of Smith and Marnus Labuschagne, who was dropped from the squad, led to struggles for Australia's top order during the first Test, despite their ultimate victory. They were quickly down 22/3 in the first innings and 65/4 in the second. Cummins, however, expressed confidence in the team's 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... That's the challenge for our young batting group."

The second Test match, a historic event as the first ever Test to be held in Grenada, is scheduled to commence on July 3.