Steve Smith suffers injury scare ahead of Pink-Ball Test against India in Adelaide

Australia faced a minor injury scare when star batter Steve Smith was struck on his right thumb during a net session ahead of the second Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test against India, starting December 6 at the Adelaide Oval. While batting, Smith took a hit from throwdowns by teammate Marnus Labuschagne. He briefly stopped practice, showing signs of discomfort as medical staff examined his thumb. However, Smith later resumed batting in another net, indicating no serious injury.

Smith’s return to form is crucial for Australia after his underwhelming performance in the first Test at Perth. He registered a golden duck in the first innings and managed only 17 in the second, as the Aussies suffered a massive 295-run defeat. The right-hander’s recent Test record has been far from his usual standards. In 13 matches during the ICC World Test Championship (2023-25) cycle, Smith has accumulated 755 runs at an average of 32.82, with just one century and four fifties. His form in 2023 has been particularly concerning, scoring 230 runs in six Tests at an average of 25.55, with a highest score of 91*.

Australia’s injury concerns extend beyond Smith, with senior pacer Josh Hazlewood ruled out of the Adelaide Test due to a side strain. Scott Boland is expected to take Hazlewood’s spot, while Sean Abbott and Brendan Doggett have been called up for additional pace cover. All-rounder Beau Webster has also joined the squad as a precautionary replacement for Mitchell Marsh, who declared himself fit for the match.

India enters the pink-ball Test with significant momentum following their commanding victory in Perth. The tourists dominated with both bat and ball, led by Jasprit Bumrah’s sensational bowling and captaincy. Australia, however, will be looking to level the series and may find inspiration in their performance during the 2020 Adelaide Test, where their pace duo of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood dismantled the Indian lineup for their lowest-ever Test total of 36 runs.

The second Test promises high stakes for both teams, as Australia seeks redemption and India aims to extend their advantage in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Also See: India vs Australia Schedule, Match Dates, Timing and Venues

Australia squad (for second Test): Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey (wk), Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Nathan McSweeney, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster

India squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Devdutt Padikkal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar. Reserves: Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed, Yash Dayal.