Steve Smith suffers colossal injury scare ahead of the Ashes opener

After Pat Cummins was already ruled out of the first Test in Perth, the replacement Australian skipper, Steve Smith, was reported to have hurt his left hand during the pre-Ashes net session ahead of Friday's action.

The Australians have been out of luck ahead of the Ashes, as several of their players have been ruled out of play due to injuries. The Ashes begins with the first Test on the 21st of November in Perth and will conclude on the 8th of January with the final game in Sydney.

Steve Smith suffers injury scare ahead of Ashes starter on Friday

Steve Smith returned to Australia to participate in the Sheffield Shield games to prepare for the much-anticipated home season of the Ashes. According to several former English cricketers, this is the weakest ever Australian Test squad in the Ashes.

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Steve Smith will be leading the Aussies against the English when the two teams clash for 5 days of intensified Test cricket action in Perth. He is Australia's stand-in skipper in regular captain Pat Cummins' absence.

With no return date finalized for Cummins' return, Steve Smith suffered an injury scare on his left hand as he stretched it and hurt it when he attempted to pull a shot ball in the nets. Though the injury never seemed serious, he got a lot of attention from the team doctor.

Doesn’t look too serious but Steve Smith did get a lot of attention from the team doctor for his left hand. Seemed to hurt it in some way while attempting a pull shot in the nets, maybe turning that hand awkwardly in the process #Ashes pic.twitter.com/LjtbxcRPlf

— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) November 18, 2025

However, after some initial observation and some time off the nets, Smith was back and resumed training in the nets.

And it isn’t serious. Smith is back batting in the nets https://t.co/FLhqwjbcXU pic.twitter.com/rwb3bk39BY

— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) November 18, 2025

Australia have been burdened by several injuries

The Aussies have been burdened by a long set of injuries ever since the Ashes selections were made. The first and the biggest among the blows came in the form of their skipper, Pat Cummins, who was ruled out of the game following a stress injury.

The very next set of injury setbacks, which affected participation, came in the form of two other pace bowlers, Josh Hazlewood and Sean Abbott. They both were picked by the Aussies for the first Test and had to be ruled out, instead bringing in Michael Neser as a replacement.

The latest among injury scares have come from various players, including Cameron Green and now Steve Smith; however, they have not been ruled out and have eventually confirmed their participation.

Joe Root eyes maiden hundred on Australian soil in the upcoming Ashes

The English team has been in Oceania since they arrived for the white-ball series against New Zealand. The England Lions have also made a move to Australia for a series with Australia A, which will be played simultaneously alongside the Ashes series.

England veteran Joe Root, the batter who is now considered the greatest among red-ball batters in the history of not only English cricket but also world cricket, recently surpassed Ricky Ponting to become the second-highest run-scorer in the longest format of the game.

The 34-year-old was last seen in the series against India, where he boasted as England's highest scorer again, and with his unstoppable form, he is likely to end his century drought in Australia. Though he has 4 hundreds against the nation, he has none in the country itself.

Joe Root has played in 34 matches on Australian soil and has amassed 892 runs, a record not great by his standards, as he averages the lowest against the Ashes rivals.

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