Steve Smith hospitalised after sickening finger injury in World Test Championship final

Steve Smith will avoid surgery after a sickening finger injury in the World Test Championship final, which may affect his chances of touring the West Indies. More details inside.

Steve Smith has avoided surgery with hopes his sickening finger injury at Lord’s may not prove as serious as first thought.

The Australian vice-captain suffered a compound dislocation and was back at Lord’s in a splint on Saturday, with uncertainty over how the injury – where bone penetrated skin – might affect his chances of touring the West Indies for three Tests later this month.

As first reported by News Corp, Smith had the finger washed out and disinfected, stitched and placed in a splint, which he must wear for the next eight weeks.

But the fact Smith avoided surgery means he will be able to continue batting with a splint on provided he can tolerate the pain.

Steve Smith goes down after injuring his finger while fielding. Picture: Getty Images

The wound will heal in around two weeks and with the first Test against the West Indies starting on June 25 in Barbados, Smith will be touch and go for that.

However, fears of a serious long-term injury appear to have been allayed.

Smith looked physically unwell in the moments after the dropped catch of Temba Bavuma had dislocated his finger, and medical staff were not mucking around in the immediate aftermath with the star batsman not even returning to the dressing room and marched to hospital where he was for several hours.

READ MORE: How day 3 of the World Test Championship unfolded at Lord’s

“He never made it to the dressing room. The doc and physio got him and took him into a separate room there. They had to deal with that, so we weren’t really up to speed in terms of how gruesome the injury was,” Australian assistant coach Daniel Vettori said.

“We just heard that obviously there was a compound fracture or dislocation, something of that nature.

“We’ll just wait and see what comes back after he is back from hospital.”

Australian skipper Pat Cummins and the injured Steve Smith. Picture: AP Photo

Steve Smith reacts in pain as he leaves the field. Picture: AP Photo

If Smith was unavailable for a Test or more it would only exacerbate the selection dilemmas facing Australia in the West Indies and in the lead-up to the Ashes.

Marnus Labuschagne appeared as though he was on the verge of being axed, but if Smith was unavailable it might help him earn a reprieve.

Another looming issue is that selectors must decide if they are backing Usman Khawaja at age 38 to open for them in the Ashes.

Khawaja should thrive on slow pitches in the West Indies but he was exposed by the express pace of Jasprit Bumrah last summer and Kagiso Rabada in this Test.

Cameron Green’s future at No.3 will also be a topic of discussion.

No matter what happens, Sam Konstas is all but certain to return to opening in the West Indies, as he perhaps should have for this World Test Championship Final.

Selectors have indicated they want to bed down their Ashes line-up well in advance which means big decisions may be made in the West Indies.

Originally published as Steve Smith hospitalised after sickening finger injury in World Test Championship final