For 36-year-old Steve Smith, it was the most dire of fortunes in the World Test Championship final at Lord’s. In the third day of a closely fought match, he experienced a compound dislocation of the fifth digit of his dominant hand (right). The injury occurred while he was fielding in the slips. CATCH TO BE REMEMBERED Smith will always be remembered for dropping a catch off Mitchell Starc’s bowling.
Smith, who made his Test debut in 2010, has been the fulcrum of Australian cricket since. His pace bowler’s instinct found him standing much deeper in the slips, as many previous deliveries hadn’t carried. His choice to wear a helmet over the course of the match was telling of the increased awareness given to erratic ball travel. Sadly for him, the inverse came true. He was unable to hang onto it, and this resulted in such acute pain immediately.
After evaluating his injury, Cricket Australia’s medical staff decided that Smith required more extensive evaluation. He exited the field in obvious pain and was transported to a hospital for X-ray and follow-up care. The freak injury has sparked anxiety at what it might mean for his availability for the rest of that match and beyond.
Australia’s assistant coach, Daniel Vettori, provided an update on Smith’s condition following the incident.
“We’ll just wait and see what it’s like when he comes back from hospital.” – Daniel Vettori
Currently, Smith is one of Top 5 overall leading run-scorers in Test cricket with more than 10,000 runs. His omission would be a massive blow to the Australian batting order. His vision and craft have been pivotal in many historic wins for Australian teams.
The cricketing community anxiously awaits news on Smith’s injury. Like all of us, they are waiting for good news about his recovery and return to the game. Depending on the X-ray results will determine the next steps moving forward for Smith. Beyond that, they’ll be helping to direct the Australian side in what should be a thrilling final.
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