Steve Smith, the senior Australian batter, is eager to return from a finger injury he sustained during the World Test Championship Final against South Africa.

Smith, who missed the opening Test in Barbados, used his time off to train in a baseball cage in New York. Rather than waiting for his injury to fully recover, he started by practicing with tennis and soft balls, slowly progressing to the harder cricket ball. Australia won the first Test by 159 runs.

“It was actually my mate who told me about it, which worked out perfectly since it was pretty warm in New York,” Smith said in an interview.

“Underneath the bridge, there was a batting cage, and my friend was able to toss me a few balls. It was nice to be in the shade because it was really hot there,” he mentioned.

A baseball cage, much like cricket nets, is a enclosed space where baseball players practice their hitting skills. It creates a controlled space where batters can safely swing and strike baseballs without the danger of stray balls leaving the area.

Smith sent videos of his batting to the Australian medical team in the Caribbean, who were pleased with his progress.

Although it is uncertain whether he will feature in the second Test at St George’s from July 3, Smith has shown significant signs of recovery.

“For me, it’ll just feel like regular training. I don’t feel any pain or anything, just getting used to the splint and the slight restriction in movement,” he said.

“It’s feeling better now; I’ve got much more movement, which is great. Hitting the ball felt perfectly fine,” said Smith.