Steve Smith confident of return for second Test against West Indies
Bridgetown: Australia batter Steve Smith remains optimistic about recovering in time to make his return from injury for the second Test against the West Indies in Grenada, as per the official website of International Cricket Council (ICC).
Smith, who missed the opening Test of the ongoing three-match series against the Caribbean side with the finger injury he picked up during the ICC World Test Championship Final, has recently had his stitches removed from the affected area and looks set to regain his place at No.4 in Australia's side when the series resumes on Thursday.
The veteran joined up with his teammates in the Caribbean on Sunday and is expected to take part in full practice on Tuesday in an attempt to return to the side that won the opening Test against the West Indies by 159 runs.
Smith will be fitted with a thinner splint for his injured finger and, while he won't be able to field in his usual position in the slips, the 36-year-old is expecting to have no issues while batting and is expecting to play in the second Test.
"For me, it'll just feel like training as normal, I think," Smith said, as quoted from the official website of ICC.
"I don't really feel any pain or anything. (It's) just getting used to the splint on and the slight limited movement. It's not too bad, I've got a lot of movement there now, so that feels good. Hitting the ball felt completely fine," he added.
"Fielding some balls in front of the wicket will probably be the strangest thing for me, I don't think I've ever done that in a Test match. Fielding at either probably mid-on or mid-off or fine leg, is a bit different to standing at the second or first slip," he noted.
With Smith set to return to Australia's side, it means reserve batter Josh Inglis is likely to be the unlucky one to make way after he managed scores of just five and 12 during the first Test against the West Indies in Barbados.
Inglis wasn't the only top-order batter to struggle against West Indies' pace attack at Kensington Oval, with teenager opener Sam Konstas and No.3 Cameron Green out cheaply in both innings of the Test match as the Aussies failed to cope with a difficult batting pitch.
Smith has put faith in Australia's top-order to hit back quickly and believes good scores will be just around the corner for Konstas and Green.
"These guys are good players, there's been a lot of talk around it but...we just need to give them an opportunity," Smith said.
"It doesn't always come around straight away. We've just got to give them an opportunity and let them get used to playing in these conditions and in international cricket. These guys have some really good talent and I think they have bright futures," he said.
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