Australia Coach Vettori Opens on Smith's Injury

The incident occurred while Smith was fielding at slip, positioned closer than usual due to the slow pitch conditions, and wearing a helmet. The dropped catch, off Mitchell Starc's bowling when South African captain Temba Bavuma was on two runs, proved costly as Bavuma went on to score an unbeaten 65, partnering with Aiden Markram (102*).

Smith, 36, immediately left the field in pain after the ball struck his right little finger. He was initially assessed in the Lord's medical room before being transferred to a hospital for X-rays and further treatment. Medical professionals suggest that a compound dislocation, where the bone breaks through the skin, could necessitate surgery and a lengthy recovery period.

Assistant coach Daniel Vettori provided an update at the day end press conference, stating, "He never made (it to) us (in) the dressing room, the doctor and physio got him and took him into the separate room to deal with it. So we weren't really up to speed in terms of how gruesome the injury was, we just heard that there was a fear of the compound fracture or dislocation or something of that nature. There weren't too many people running to the physio room to go and have a look. We'll just wait and see what comes back after he gets back from hospital."

Smith's potential absence for the three-Test series in the West Indies, scheduled to begin on June 25 in Barbados, would be a major blow for Australia, especially given his prolific form of four centuries in his last six Tests. The tour will see matches played in Barbados, Grenada, and Jamaica.