Ahead of the Ashes Test series against England, Australia`s stand-in captain Steve Smith has injured his wrist during the net session, but the good news is that he seems to have avoided any serious injury, according to Fix Cricket.
While batting in the nets ahead of the first Ashes Test in Perth, Smith had to be helped out of the crease by the team physio, who then took him to the medical tent for assessment.
The first Test match of the Ashes series between England and Australia is scheduled to be played at the Optus Stadium in Perth from November 21. The Aussies will miss the service of their skipper, Pat Cummins, as he is still recovering from his lumbar stress injury. In his absence, Smith has been handed the leadership duties.
Later, Smith returned to the field and was seen doing shadow batting, which means that he may have escaped any major injury.
With 3,417 runs in 37 Ashes Tests, including 12 tons and 13 fifties and a best score of 239, Smith is the third-highest run-getter in Ashes history. This year in six Tests, he has made 515 runs in 10 innings at an average of 51.50, with two centuries and fifties each and a best score of 141.
The Australians had a tough time the last time they played a Test match on the pitch at the Optus Stadium, last year. Australia, led by Pat Cummins, faced a mammoth 295-run defeat against India in the first Test of the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. The match saw the Australian batting lineup struggle big time, while Indian batters Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli scored sublime centuries.
Ashes, Australia vs England: Full Squads
Australia`s first Test squad: Steve Smith (captain), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster.
England squad: Ben Stokes (captain), Harry Brook (vice captain), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Josh Tongue, Mark Wood.
(With ANI Inputs)