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Key Points

Steve Smith remains optimistic about playing in the West Indies Test series despite a painful finger dislocation. The injury occurred during a crucial dropped catch in the WTC Final against South Africa. Smith admits to mixed emotions about Lord's after past incidents including his 2019 concussion. The veteran batter avoided surgery but will wear a splint for eight weeks.

Key Points: Steve Smith Targets West Indies Return After Finger Injury

  • Smith suffered compound dislocation during WTC Final
  • Avoided surgery but needs 8-week splint
  • Missed catch proved costly against South Africa
  • Reflects on Lord's 'love/hate' relationship
3 min read

'May be able to play with it in a couple of weeks': Smith reveals plans to return to action after finger injury

Steve Smith reveals recovery timeline from finger dislocation, hopeful for West Indies Tests after avoiding surgery.

'May be able to play with it in a couple of weeks': Smith reveals plans to return to action after finger injury
"I may be able to play with it in a couple of weeks - Steve Smith"

London, June 15

Australian veteran batter Steve Smith, who picked up a finger injury during the ICC World Test Championship Final against Australia, provided a prognosis surrounding his return to international cricket and remain hopeful to feature in Australia's upcoming three-match Test series against the West Indies in the Caribbean.

Steve Smith hurt his finger when attempting a catch and later was sent for an X-ray at a nearby hospital after suffering a compound dislocation in his right little finger during Day Three’s play.

The initial diagnosis for Smith is reasonably good, with the 36-year-old lucky to have avoided surgery and still a chance to feature in the upcoming three-match Test series against the West Indies, starting from June 25.

“I will be in a splint for eight weeks now and I may be able to play with it in a couple of weeks. 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," Smith was quoted by ICC.

Smith was standing in close at wide first slip with a helmet on when South Africa captain Temba Bavuma edged one into the cordon off left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc, and the Australia veteran grassed the chance with Bavuma on just two at the time. The missed chance cost the Aussies dearly as the skipper went on to score 66 and feature heavily in a match-winning partnership with opener Aiden Markram.

"I was standing pretty close with the helmet on and as we saw throughout the game, a lot of nicks went short of first and second slip. The plan was to stand pretty close and I lost sight of it with the angle that Mitchell Starc was bowling and it kind of went inside Bavuma's hip and I didn't quite see it until really late and it kind of dipped on me a little bit late too as well.

"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," Smith said.

The injury incident is the latest in a long set of dramas Smith has encountered at Lord's over the years, with the Australian admitting he now has a host of mixed emotions when recalling his recent appearances at the famous north London venue.

"I have a love/hate relationship with this place now. I have had some good memories here and some not so good ones as well. Getting hit in the head by Jofra (Archer) in 2019 and now having my digit knocked off out here yesterday as well. But it’s a wonderful place to play cricket and I have enjoyed it here and it was a real good game of cricket again."

- IANS

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Reader Comments

Here are 6 diverse Indian perspective comments for the cricket injury news article:
R
Rahul K.
Smith's injury looked painful but he's tough as nails! Remember his comeback after the sandpaper scandal? This guy never gives up. Hope he recovers soon - cricket needs such passionate players. That Lord's ground seems to be his jinx though! 😅
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Priya M.
As much as I respect Smith's skills, I can't forget how his missed catch cost Australia the match. Fielding positions need to be smarter - standing so close with helmet on seems unnecessary risk. Our Indian team would never make such basic errors in important matches!
A
Arjun S.
Finger injuries can be tricky for batsmen. Remember how Dhoni played with injuries during crucial matches? True champions play through pain. Hope Smith recovers fully before the WI series - don't want him getting worse and missing Ashes later!
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Sneha R.
"Love/hate relationship with Lord's" - so relatable! 😂 Every cricket fan has that one ground where their team either performs magic or faces disaster. For us Indians, it's probably Edgbaston or Johannesburg. Wishing Smith speedy recovery - the game is better with him playing.
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Vikram J.
The real story here is how Bavuma made Australia pay for that dropped catch! Reminds me of how our Kohli pounces on every opportunity. Smith is lucky it's just dislocation - finger injuries can end careers. Hope he doesn't rush back and aggravate it further.
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Neha P.
As a medical student, I'm surprised they didn't recommend surgery for compound dislocation. Must be minor then. But 8 weeks in splint sounds painful! Wonder if BCCI medical team would handle this differently. Get well soon Smith - your technique is textbook perfect for young Indian batsmen to learn from.

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