Apart from losing by five wickets in the World Test Championship (WTC) final and failing to defend the coveted title successfully, Australia suffered another setback when their talismanic batter, Steve Smith, sustained a finger injury while fielding on Day 3 at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground on Friday, June 13.

However, the 36-year-old provided a favourable update on his injuries, indicating that he will not need surgery. However, he suffered a complex dislocation of his right little finger. The wound was cleansed and patched, and the finger was secured in a splint. Smith will wear a splint for the next eight weeks. Depending on his comfort and functionality, he may resume batting earlier.

“I will be in a splint for eight weeks now, and I may be able to play with it in a couple of weeks,” Steve Smith said after Australia’s five-wicket loss to South Africa at Lord’s.

“It will depend on my functionality and what I am able to do, so it was probably the best result I could have hoped for,” he told reporters.

Smith sustained the injury while fielding at slips. He wore a helmet and positioned a few steps in front of the standard slide stance. The Sydney native explained that many edges were not carrying to the slip fielders at the Home of Cricket, so he stepped closer to the batter to boost his chances of taking a catch. He claimed that visibility and angle played a significant factor in him missing a catch off Mitchell Starc’s bowling and injuring himself. Temba Bavuma was the batter who was granted a reprieve, and he went on to form a match-winning 147-run combination with Aiden Markram.

“I was standing fairly close with the helmet on, and as we witnessed during the game, several nicks fell short of first and second slip. The goal was to stand near, but I lost sight of it because of the angle Mitchell Starc was bowling at, and it kind of slid inside Bavuma’s hip, and I didn’t see it until it was too late, and it also dipped on me a little late,” Smith remembered.

“It was tricky, it didn’t go in my hand very well and fortunately there is no break there and it just split the skin and dislocated it which made me feel pretty ill at that stage,” he told me.

Smith discussed his love-hate connection with Lord’s, recalling a head injury he suffered in 2019 when facing Jofra Archer in the Ashes. He did, however, say that he had a great time playing at the historic theatre.

“I have a love-hate connection with this town right now. I have both pleasant and bad memories here. Jofra (Archer) whacked me in the head in 2019, and my digit was knocked off out here yesterday as well. But it’s a fantastic venue to play cricket, and I’ve had a great time here, with another great game of cricket,” Smith said.

As preparations for Australia’s Test trip of the Caribbean begin, Smith’s fitness will be rigorously monitored. For the time being, his chances of participating will be determined by how quickly he can regain functionality in his right hand.