Injury Blow For Australia As Steve Smith Hospitalised With Dislocated Finger During WTC Final
Australia’s hopes in the World Test Championship final took a major hit on Day Three at Lord’s as star batter Steve Smith was rushed to a hospital after suffering a compound dislocation in his right little finger. The injury occurred while Smith was fielding at wide first slip during the 20th over of South Africa’s second innings, when he failed to hold onto a sharp edge from Proteas skipper Temba Bavuma off Mitchell Starc’s bowling.
The impact was immediate. Smith, in visible discomfort, walked off the field straightaway and did not return for the post-tea session. Cricket Australia (CA) confirmed the injury, stating that he had been assessed by team doctors and sent for an X-ray and further treatment.
The timing couldn’t be worse. Smith’s injury not only casts doubt over the remainder of the WTC final but also places him in serious doubt for Australia’s upcoming Test tour of the West Indies starting in just ten days.
Australia had earlier posted 207 in their second innings, setting South Africa a challenging target of 282. Mitchell Starc played a vital role with the bat, scoring 58 and stitching a gritty 59-run last-wicket partnership with Josh Hazlewood.
By stumps, South Africa had reached 94/2 in 24 overs, with Aiden Markram unbeaten on 49, but still needing 188 runs for a historic win. However, their captain Temba Bavuma’s fitness is also in question after he walked off the field with a hamstring issue just before tea.
In a bizarre sequence, Smith’s replacement, young fielder Sam Konstas, also needed medical attention after a few overs and had to be replaced by spinner Matthew Kuhnemann.
With both teams battling not just each other but also key injury setbacks, the WTC final is now poised on a knife-edge.
News Source : Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
