Australia cricketer Steve Smith’s participation in the upcoming West Indies Test tour is uncertain after he suffered a compound dislocation of his finger during the World Test Championship final at Lord’s on day three, following a dropped catch off South African captain Temba Bavuma’s edge.Smith was immediately taken to the hospital after the injury occurred while fielding at slip position, where he was standing closer than usual due to the slow nature of the Lord’s pitch and wearing a helmet.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The dropped catch came off Mitchell Starc’s bowling when Bavuma was on two runs, with the South African captain going on to score 65 more runs by the end of play, partnering with Aiden Markram who remained unbeaten on 102.The injury occurred when Smith attempted to catch an edge, resulting in a painful blow to his right little finger that caused him to immediately leave the field grimacing.
The 36-year-old was first assessed in the Lord’s medical rooms before being transported to hospital for X-rays and additional treatment.Medical experts indicate that a compound dislocation, where bone breaks through the skin, might require surgery and extensive rehabilitation.“He never made (it to) us (in) the dressing room, the doctor and physio got him and took him into the separate room to deal with it,” said Assistant coach Daniel Vettori. “So we weren’t really up to speed in terms of how gruesome the injury was, we just heard that there was a fear of the compound fracture or dislocation or something of that nature. There weren’t too many people running to the physio room to go and have a look. We’ll just wait and see what comes back after he gets back from hospital.”
Australia’s Steve Smith reacts after getting hurt while fielding on day three of the World Test Championship final. (AP Photo)
The potential absence of Smith for the three-Test series against the West Indies, starting June 25 in Barbados, would be significant as he has scored four centuries in his last six Tests.The West Indies tour includes three Test matches, with the first match scheduled in Barbados, followed by games in Grenada and Jamaica.
