Steve Smith is set to feature in Australia’s second Test against West Indies in Grenada after completing an entire training session. However, he will not be able to stand in the slip cordon, a position he has fielded in many games, with his finger still in a splint. This is the first time he has completed a training session since he suffered a compound dislocation in his right little finger during the WTC final at Lord’s.
The Australian top-order batter linked up with the squad after staying a week in New York, where he kept knocking with a tennis ball and an incrediball. Although his finger is supposed to stay in a splint until August, Smith is determined to bat regardless. He faced throwdowns from Matthew Wade, Australia’s assistant coach, on Tuesday, followed by some spin and pace throwdowns from Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc, respectively. Australian head coach Andrew McDonald said the other day that Smith’s inclusion hinged largely on how he performed in that very training session, which he is understood to have passed without any problems.
He also had a prolonged conversation with McDonald, selector George Bailey, and physio Nick Jones after he finished the training session.
“He seems pretty confident,” Alex Carey said before the start of the training. “He’s excited to get back in. It’s been tough at the top of the order, so to add a little bit more experience is good for the group.”
The Australian top order showed clear signs of struggle without Smith in the first game. With Smith’s return, Josh Inglis, who batted at No. 4, has been benched, while Cameron Green got another life at No. 3, a spot Marnus Labuschagne, whose lean patch saw him benched, held for long. The playing XI, barring Smith’s inclusion, stays unchanged as Australia look to continue their winning ways and build on their early dominance.
There were raised fingers in Sam Konstas’ direction as well, who managed to score 3 and 5 across both innings in the first game. His struggle, especially in the second innings, where he took fourteen balls to get off the mark, means that his place in the second Test might be in jeopardy, and this match will be crucial for him to put some runs on the board for his defense. Australia, too, would want Konstas to end their headache of finding the perfect replacement for David Warner, who retired in January last year, before the Ashes series later this year.
Their bright spot with the new finds has come in the form of Beau Webster, who has proven to be a valuable all-rounder option. He took two scalps and scored a crucial fifty in the last game. He came in when Australia were reeling at 65 for 4 and managed to build a 102-run partnership with Travis Head in the second innings.
Australia’s playing XI for the second Test:
1 Usman Khawaja, 2 Sam Konstas, 3 Cameron Green, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Travis Head, 6 Beau Webster, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Josh Hazlewood.
