Smith Poised to Return for Grenada Test as Australia Seeks Series Sweep

Steve Smith, the experienced Australian batter, is poised to rejoin the squad for the second Test against the West Indies in Grenada, following Australia's dominant victory in the first Test in Barbados.

Steve Smith missed the opening Test after dislocating a finger during the WTC final © Getty

Pat Cummins, the Australian captain, confirmed that Smith has resumed batting practice after recovering from the finger dislocation he sustained during the World Test Championship Final. Smith had been in New York for rehabilitation, which caused him to miss the first Test.

Cummins stated, "He's had a few hits over in New York... I think his wound is looking good, so the next stage is to come over here and hit some balls in the nets. So we'll know more over the next few days."

The potential return of Smith could provide a significant boost to Australia's top order, which struggled in the first Test despite the team's overall success. With Marnus Labuschagne out of the team, the top order faltered, being reduced to 22/3 in the first innings and 65/4 in the second.

However, Cummins expressed confidence in the team's young batters. "You saw today how tricky a wicket that was, there weren't too many 50-run partnerships throughout the whole game," Cummins said. "Of course, the top order would like to score some more runs. The challenge of Test cricket, especially for young players, is when you get thrown different conditions, you've got to find a way to be effective. That's the challenge for our young batting group."

The second Test match, a historic event as the first ever Test to be held in Grenada, is set to commence on July 3.