Steven Smith opened up about his back problem after a fine injury-returning knock of 71 runs in the second innings of the second Grenada Test against the West Indies. He didn’t participate in the first game of the series in Barbados after getting ruled out of the finger injury that he picked up at Lord’s during the WTC 2023-25 final against South Africa.

The former Australia captain reckoned that he was trying to bat on the middle stump and jam down the bat for the deliveries that kept low. He addressed that when the bounce wasn’t consistent, he could not trust the balls in the stump-line.

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“When I go across my stumps normally, that's when the bounce is pretty consistent and I can trust the balls aren't going to shoot (low). When the balls are shooting, I want to try and keep my bat as straight as possible and access that one as much as you can when it stays low.” The veteran expressed, as quoted by Cricket.com.au.

Steven Smith opens up on T20 fix to solve injured finger

It was an unfamiliar challenge for the experienced campaigner to bat wearing a splint on his right little finger after dislocation. He revealed that after the end of the game, the splint promoted another change, switching his T20 grip in Grenada. He was forced to use his top hand more than usual due to the heavy strapping.

“It was a little bit different (from normal) because I can't bend it really, it's stuck straight almost. But I felt good out there; I had to change a couple of things with my grip going from first innings to second innings with my finger, and it took me a little while to just get my placement.” Smith revealed. Reaching the half-century from 79 balls and finishing with a strike rate of nearly 60, the right-handed batter celebrated his sixth fastest innings of 50 or better since Jun 2020.

It will be incredibly important for him to continue the purple patch, with the top order lacking runs in a year of the home Ashes three months later. The third Jamaica Test of the series will be a new challenge for the star batter. It will also be Australia’s first day-night red-ball fixture abroad as the pink Dukes ball will have more challenge than the Kookaburra they use in the home Test matches. But he should be confident, having scored 199 in the first innings of the Test at that venue during the 2015 trip.