Steve Smith recently offered an update on his finger injury and the state of his recuperation ahead of Australia’s second Test in the ongoing three-match series against the West Indies. He stated that he was confident of making the XI for the forthcoming match.

For the uninitiated, the seasoned batter dislocated his finger while attempting a catch in the slips during the World Test Championship’s 2023-25 season finale versus Australia at Lord’s. He was then sent to a local hospital for treatment. Smith did not end up needing surgery. He did not, however, play in the first Test of the West Indies trip.

“I believe it will simply seem like regular training for me. I don’t feel any discomfort or anything. (It’s) just getting used to the splint and the slightly restricted movement. It’s not that horrible; I have a lot of movement there now, which feels wonderful. Hitting the ball seemed perfectly natural,” Smith said, as reported by ICC.

Steve Smith also stated that he will most likely not field in his usual fielding position, the slip cordon.

“Fielding some balls in front of the wicket will definitely be the most unusual thing for me; I don’t think I’ve ever done that in a Test match. Fielding at either mid-on, mid-off, or fine leg is a little different than standing at the second or first slip,” Smith explained.

If Smith’s injury is cleared by management, Inglis will most likely sit out. Josh Inglis did not have his finest performance in the first Test, which Australia won by 159 runs. He scored five and twelve in his team’s first and second innings, respectively.