Australia faced a tough blow when star batter Steve Smith had to go for an X-ray after dislocating his right little finger during the third day of the ICC World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord’s. Smith was in a close position at wide first slip when he tried to catch an edge off left-arm bowler Mitchell Starc in the 20th over. The ball came at him quickly, and he couldn’t catch it.
Right after that, Smith left the field, and Sam Konstas, a teenage opener, took his place as a substitute fielder. But soon after, Konstas also needed medical help and was replaced by left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann. Smith didn’t return to play after tea, with Cricket Australia confirming that he suffered a compound dislocation of his finger. They said he was evaluated by the medical staff and then taken to the hospital for further treatment.
This injury puts Smith’s participation in the upcoming Test tour of the West Indies in serious doubt, which starts in ten days. On the bright side for Australia, the current World Test Championship holders, Smith had already batted, scoring 66 and 13 in this match.
As for South Africa, they need to chase down 282 runs after Australia scored 207 in their second innings. Mitchell Starc contributed a solid 58 and formed a last-wicket partnership of 59 runs with Josh Hazlewood. In their second innings, Aiden Markram was holding strong at 49 runs as South Africa had reached 94 for 2 in 24 overs, needing 188 more runs to win. They’ll also be keeping an eye on their captain, Temba Bavuma, who tweaked his hamstring just before tea. He got to 11 not out before walking off, and they will check on him during the break to see if he can continue playing.
