Australian cricket team have another massive injury scare in hand as Steve Smith copped a blow to his thumb while batting at the nets on December 3, Tuesday ahead of the decisive pink-ball Test against Team India in Adelaide. In a video surfaced on social media, the star batter was seen receiving attention from the team physio as his finger got injured after a throwdown from Marnus Labuschagne.
Despite not being at his best, Smith remains a significant cog in Australian batting unit's wheel. The 35-year-old averages above 60 against India despite scoring 0 and 17 against India in the opening Test in Perth, but the home side desperately need runs off his bat in Adelaide if Australia are to square the five-match series.
Meanwhile, below is the video of Smith receiving attention from the physio:
Australia are already without Josh Hazlewood for the second Test as he suffered a side strain during the opening Test. Scott Boland is likely to replace him.
Ricky Ponting cites Virat Kohli's example as Aussie batters aim to come out of their rut
Ex-Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting has kept his focus on Aussie batters after a tough time in Perth, especially Marnus Labuschagne, claiming that he must show more intent than merely looking to survive. Speaking on the latest episode of the ICC Review, he stated:
"I think that's going to be the great challenge for Marnus and co. this week. It’s probably just letting go a little bit. Think about scoring runs first and not think about getting out first. There’s only one way to change it, and that is to be positive and show great intent. In the first innings, he got too worried about trying to combat what the opposition bowlers were doing and got away from his style of play. He found his style in the second innings, he got a hundred."
