Steve Smith, the former captain of Australia, will be back in the starting lineup for the second Test match against the West Indies in Grenada after recovering from a finger injury.
Less than twenty-four hours before the match at the National Cricket Stadium, captain Pat Cummins stated that Steve Smith will be playing, substituting Josh Inglis for the seasoned player. Cummins said there was no justification for excluding the seasoned top-order batsman.
The finger held up well, so he’s set to depart. He was very content, especially while he was batting. Fielding may not be in the slips too frequently since we still need to manage it a little bit. According to ICC, Cummins stated, “He might need to wait another week for the quicks, but maybe he’ll be fine for spin.”
On Tuesday, July 2, Steve Smith practiced in a splint without experiencing any pain.
“There’s a chance that you’ll see him running about more. He continued, “I think he’ll be itching to get up in the circle pretty quick. We’ll see if he lasts a few days down at fine leg, but it’s likely some variation of mid-off and fine leg.”
The sole alteration to the Australian XI that helped them defeat the West Indies by 159 runs in the first Test match in Barbados was Steve Smith comeback. At the toss, the hosts have chosen to finalise their playing lineup.
With Anderson Phillip in line to make his third Test appearance, the West Indies are thinking about bolstering their bowling arsenal with a another seamer. He might take Jomel Warrican’s spot as vice captain.
Kraigg Brathwaite, who is expected to become the tenth West Indian player to surpass 100 Test appearances, will also be the centre of attention. Prior to the historic game, captain Roston Chase commended his longevity, saying he has been an essential member of the red-ball team since his debut in 2011.
He is the third Bajan player to accomplish this incredible feat, which is fantastic in and of itself. It speaks a lot for Kraigg since Chris Gayle was the last player to do it (for the West Indies) in 2014, Chase added.
As someone who has played with him since the under-11s, he is a modern-day legend and someone I admire. “It’s an incredible accomplishment that someone can set a goal so early and achieve it after so many years,” he continued, adding that he had indicated before beginning his career that he intended to play 100 Tests.
XI for Australia’s second Test match against the West Indies
Sam Konstas, Cameron Green, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Alex Carey (wk), and Usman Khawaja
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