Smith dislocated his right little finger in last month's World Test Championship final and will be required to wear a splint for five weeks, Cricket Australia said.
Glenn McGrath said his prediction this time is based on how England were held to a 2-2 series draw by India in the recent Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy five-Test series.
'As a captain it makes my life a lot easier knowing you've got lots of settled players there.'
Sammy expressed frustration that his side were on the "sharp end of the stick" for two caught behind decisions that had been referred to Holdstock which saw Australia batter Travis Head given not out, while Windies 'keeper batter Shai Hope was adjudicated out.
A 'special message' from India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah on the eve of Cameron Green's back surgery gave the Australian all-rounder the much-needed reassurance about his decision to go under the knife.
Jadeja consolidates as world No 1 Test all-rounder, Abhishek Sharma is top ranked T20I batter
IMAGES from Day 1 of the WTC Final between Australia and South Africa at Lord's on Wednesday
Joe Root has reclaimed the top spot in the ICC Men's Test Batting Rankings after his stellar efforts helped England secure a 22-run victory over India at Lord's, according to the official website of the ICC.
Steve Smith's magnificent 71 guided Australia to 221 for seven at stumps on Day 3 of the second Test against the West Indies in Grenada on Saturday, helping the tourists to build a commanding 254-run lead despite late wickets and persistent rain interruptions.
Alex Carey scored 63 and Beau Webster 60 as Australia were bowled out for 286. West Indies pacer Alzarri Joseph took 4 wickets for 61 runs on Day 1 of the second Test.
Former No. 1-ranked Test batter Marnus Labuschagne will be pushed up in the order to open alongside Usman Khawaja.
Hazlewood was initially named in the squad for South Africa, will also return home following the Test series. Xavier Bartlett has been drafted in as his replacement.
Gillespie said that he feels that either one of Labuschagne or Usman Khawaja, the 38-year-old who failed to touch double-digits in both WTC final innings, will miss out on West Indies tour, which comprises three Tests, starting June 25.
West Indies' fearsome bowling attacks of old, Jayden Seales and Shamar Joseph tore through Australia on Wednesday
Australia carved out an 82-run lead over West Indies on day two of the first Test in Barbados on Thursday, with the hosts frustrated by several close umpiring calls that went against them.
Cameron Green suffered a mild concussion after being hit on the head by a shot from Jasprit Bumrah
Change will be a key theme for both the West Indies and Australia in their upcoming three-Test series in the Caribbean with the visitors set to field a remodelled batting line-up and the hosts being led out for the first time by Roston Chase.
A B de Villiers described South Africa's squad as a well-balanced unit and backed them to pull off an upset against defending champions Australia.
Australia's opening partnership has been the subject of much debate since David Warner retired and remains unresolved less than a month before the World Test Championship final against South Africa.
Speaking ahead of the first Test from June 25 onwards at Barbados, Joseph said as quoted by Sydney Morning Herald, "To take 13 wickets across the series was a good feeling. A lot has changed. There were a lot of opportunities that came my way."
Australia finished second in the league table during the 2023-25 WTC cycle, behind South Africa, having claimed 67.54 per cent of the points on offer to them.
Cameron Green is made for Test cricket and will make his debut in the pink ball match against India, Australia captain Tim Paine announced
Australia took the upper hand in the World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord's, ending day two on 144-8 in their second innings with a lead of 218 runs after wickets tumbled freely again on Thursday.
Pat Cummins tore through South Africa before a Proteas fightback left the ICC World Test Championship Final 2025 on a knife-edge at the end of an absorbing second day at Lord's.
Green was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his lower back during the ODI series in England, fanning speculation about his availability for the five-match series against India starting in November.
CSA's director Enoch Nkwe changed his stance, saying higher-level talks were happening between CSA, the BCCI, and IPL franchises, suggesting CSA had little choice in the matter.
Cameron Green's participation in the upcoming marquee five-match Test series against fierce rivals India was on Friday thrown into doubt after a back injury ruled him out of the ongoing tour of England.
Marsh was nonetheless retained in Australia's list of contracted players released on Tuesday for the 2025/26 season in an endorsement by selectors.
Australia pacer Josh Hazlewood claimed the Men's Test Player-of-the-Year award. It marked his first Australian Cricket Award, with Hazlewood taking 30 wickets at just 13.16 in Tests against the West Indies, New Zealand, and India.
In a display of raw power and audacious stroke play, Rajasthan Royals' 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi tore into the Gujarat Titans bowling attack with a scintillating knock during which multiple records fell by the wayside in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Monday.
Australia fast bowler Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out of the second Test against India in Adelaide with a low grade side injury.
Cameron Green's injury could open up the door for Cameron Bancroft's Test recall in the marquee Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India next month.
Konstas heads home but not out of Test team's plans
Both teams have struggled in the ODI format recently. World champions Australia lost to Sri Lanka (0-2) and Pakistan (1-2) in their last two series, while England, now coached by Brendon McCullum in all formats, haven't won an ODI series since their disastrous 2023 World Cup campaign.
Australia's mouthwatering clash with India sees the two behemoths of the modern game go head-to-head in five tests over six weeks with the tourists eyeing a third straight series triumph Down Under.
'Another classic, vintage Virat innings and Rajat got his fourth 50. The game had everything... Another good day for RCB.'
Australia Test captain Pat Cummins expects greater workload with the ball for all-rounders Cameron Green and Mitchell Marsh against India
Bumrah now has 36 wickets on Australian soil, and the batter he's dismissed most times is his opposite number Pat Cummins (6).
Steve Smith hasn't enjoyed an ideal start in his new role as as opener, with 171 runs from four Tests at an average of 28.
Uncapped in T20Is, Fraser-McGurk was included in Australia's World Cup squad as a reserve player but never got a chance to shine on the global stage.