Steve Smith suffered a finger injury on Day 3 of the WTC Final 2025 against South Africa at Lord's Cricket Stadium, London.
He is now in doubt for the West Indies tour due to a severely dislocated finger, which he sustained while dropping a catch of Temba Bavuma in the slips. Smith immediately left the field, as the dislocation was serious. He was taken to the hospital for scans, and his finger was treated and stitched back into place.
Daniel Vettori and Pat Cummins Provide Injury Updates on Steve Smith
Australian assistant coach Daniel Vettori was the first to share the update on Smith’s injury. He confirmed that Smith was taken directly to the hospital and did not return to the dressing room due to the severity of the injury.
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As per reports, Smith may need up to two months to fully recover. However, Captain Pat Cummins offered some clarity on the situation. He said:
“I think he enjoyed the green whistle for an hour yesterday,” Cummins said. “But he’s positive. I think it’s somewhere around 10 days to two weeks, and then maybe you try and bat with a splint and see how that looks. I’d say first Test maybe unlikely and then kind of go from there.”
Australia's tour of the West Indies begins on June 25 and includes three Tests followed by five T20Is.
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Smith’s Dropped Catch Proves Costly in WTC Final
Smith played a crucial knock in the first innings of the WTC Final. While his teammates struggled, he stood firm with a gritty 66 (112), helping Australia post 212. In response, Australian bowlers bowled out South Africa for 138, gaining a 74-run lead. In the second innings, Lungi Ngidi dismissed Smith for 13 (25), a turning point in the game. However, Mitchell Starc's resilient 58 (136) helped Australia set a target of 283 for South Africa.
In their chase, South Africa lost an early wicket, but Aiden Markram and Wiaan Mulder built a strong partnership before Starc struck again. Temba Bavuma came in next, and at 79/2, edged one to slips where Smith, wearing a helmet, dropped the catch and injured his finger in the process. That moment proved costly, as Smith left the field, and the match eventually slipped away from Australia’s hands. South Africa went on to win by six wickets.
