Australia’s woes in the ongoing India vs Australia Test series deepened after Steve Smith reportedly suffered a blow to his fingers during a net session on Tuesday. The incident occurred when Marnus Labuschagne was giving throwdowns to Smith. Following the hit, Smith was attended by the team physio and subsequently left the nets.
Is Smith hurt badly? He stopped batting after getting hurt . Hope it’s not too bad. pic.twitter.com/1VOfeNs5tn
— Vimal कुमार (@Vimalwa) December 3, 2024
A tough year for Steve Smith
Smith’s struggles with form in 2024 have been well-documented. In six matches this year, he has scored just 230 runs at an average of 25, with a solitary top score of 91. In the first Test at Perth, Smith managed only 17 runs across both innings, further highlighting his lack of rhythm. For now, the extent of his injury is unclear, and updates are expected closer to the second Test.
Australia grappling with setbacks
The Australian team has already been hit by injuries, with pacer Josh Hazlewood ruled out of the second Test due to a side strain. The absence of key players like Hazlewood and potentially Smith adds to the challenges for Australia, especially after their crushing defeat in the first Test, where their batting lineup failed collectively.
Second Test challenges for India
Meanwhile, Team India is also facing crucial selection dilemmas ahead of the pink-ball Test in Adelaide. With skipper Rohit Sharma returning, the management needs to decide who will partner Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top—KL Rahul or Rohit himself. Additionally, the team must choose between R Ashwin and Washington Sundar for the spinner’s role in what could be a pace-friendly Adelaide pitch.
Match details
The second Test between India and Australia begins on December 6, 2024, at the Adelaide Oval. The pink-ball Test will be a crucial fixture for both teams, with India aiming to capitalize on their dominant performance in the first match and Australia hoping to make a strong comeback.
Australia Test Squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Nathan McSweeney, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster, Sean Abbott.
India Test Squad: Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar.