"It's Likely He'll Play": Australia Coach On Steve Smith's Availability For Second Test Against West Indies
Following the compound fracture Steve Smith sustained during the World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord's, he is on track to be fit for Australia's second Test against West Indies in Grenada. Smith has spent the last week in New York, where he has had a net against a tennis ball, according to ESPNcricinfo. Australia head coach Andrew McDonald expects Smith to be ready to return at No. 4, which is likely to see Josh Inglis drop out of the XI.
"It's really about functionality around the finger rather than anything else. There'll be no risk to the long-term health of that finger. He'll return, and I think it's likely he'll play. Leading into the next game, he'll have the main session two days out," Andrew McDonald said as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.
Smith suffered the injury, dropping a catch offered by Temba Bavuma on the third day at Lord's,
McDonald reflected on the decision to keep Smith at No. 4, citing his ability to stabilise the position and their value to the team, despite the option to move him higher in the batting order.
"In terms of why we see him as No. 4, I think we've settled on that," McDonald said. "We could slide him up higher if we wanted to. He's been excellent at number three. But I think if you look at the last 12 months at No. 4 and his ability to stabilise that position, two down, arguably our greatest batter, we want to keep him at four and build around that rather than potentially risking too many moves in the order," he added.
Since Smith is available for the rest of the series, it is possible that Marnus Labuschagne, who was benched for the first time in the format since 2019 prior to the first Test, may be released from the team to play some cricket, either for Glamorgan or in the Australia A series against Sri Lanka A, according to ESPNcricinfo.
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