Will Steve Smith Play IND vs AUS 2nd Test? Australia Star Faces Injury Scare Ahead Of Day-Night Game

Steve Smith faced an injury scare as he sustained a blow to his right thumb during a practice session ahead of the second Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) Test against India at the Adelaide Oval.

Steve Smith copped a blow to his right thumb while taking throwdowns during the practice session at the Adelaide Oval ahead of the IND vs AUS 2nd BGT Test.

Source : PTI

Steve Smith, the star Australian batter, faced an injury scare as he sustained a blow to his right thumb during a practice session ahead of the second Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) Test against India at the Adelaide Oval. With their top pacer from the first IND vs AUS Test in Perth, Josh Hazlewood, sidelined due to a side strain, and uncertainty surrounding all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, the potential unavailability of Steve Smith is the last setback Australia would want.

While taking throwdowns from teammate Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith was struck on his right thumb. He paused briefly, seemingly wincing in pain and had a conversation with Labuschagne. A member of Australia’s medical team then assessed Smith’s thumb, which he moved cautiously to test its condition and Smith eventually decided to leave the nets afterward.

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Watch Steve Smith sustaining an injury scare in the video below:

Steve Smith is receiving medical attention to his thumb after a Marnus Labuschagne throw-down. pic.twitter.com/9webpVFZjS

— Daniel Cherny (@DanielCherny) December 3, 2024

To the relief of the hosts, Smith later returned to bat in another net session at the Adelaide Oval. While that appears to be an encouraging sign, it wouldn't be a surprise if the Australian team management sit Smith out of the IND vs AUS 2nd Test as a precautionary measure.

Aussies In Dire Need Of Runs From Steve Smith's Bat

Steve Smith has been struggling with runs from his bat and Australia will need their premier batter to fire in order to challenge the strong Indian side in the pink-ball Test. In the first Test at Perth, Smith endured a tough outing, falling for a golden duck in the first innings and scoring just 17 in the second while chasing a daunting target of 534. Australia eventually suffered a heavy 295-run defeat. 

In the ongoing ICC World Test Championship (2023-25) cycle, Smith has scored 755 runs in 26 innings across 13 Tests at an underwhelming average of 32.82. His tally includes only one century and four fifties, with a top score of 110.  Since his last century against England in July 2023, Smith has played 11 Tests, amassing 589 runs at an average of 31.00, including four fifties in 22 innings, with a highest score of 91* which came against West Indies this year in a losing cause.