Australian cricket captain Steve Smith faced an injury scare during net practice ahead of the first Ashes Test in Perth but appears to have avoided serious damage to his wrist. After requiring assistance from the team physio and undergoing medical assessment, Smith returned to the field and was seen shadow batting, indicating his likely availability for Friday’s opening match.Smith, who has scored 3,417 runs in 37 Ashes Tests with 12 centuries and 13 fifties, will lead Australia in the Perth Test. Regular captain Pat Cummins is ruled out due to a lumbar stress injury sustained in September.
The stand-in captain has been in strong form this year, accumulating 515 runs in six Tests at an average of 51.50, including two centuries and two fifties, with a highest score of 141.Australia’s previous Test experience at Perth’s Optus Stadium was challenging, suffering a 295-run defeat against India in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. The match saw the Australian batsmen struggle while Indian players Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli scored centuries.The Australian squad for the first Test includes Steve Smith as 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, and Beau Webster.England’s squad features Ben Stokes as captain, Harry Brook as vice-captain, along with Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith as wicketkeeper, Josh Tongue, and Mark Wood.Smith’s impressive Ashes record includes a highest score of 239, making him the third-highest run-getter in Ashes history.
