Smith doubtful for Australia tour

Smith hurt the ring finger of his left hand when he tried to hold a catch and the initial fears were that he had broken his finger.

While the defeat in the final match in Mumbai robbed South Africa of their first ODI series win against India, it also left skipper Graeme Smith with a broken finger which makes him a doubtful starter for the Australia tour.

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The South African skipper hurt the ring finger of his left hand late in the match when he tried to hold a catch from his Indian counterpart Rahul Dravid and the initial fears were that he had broken his finger.

The United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCBSA) said that Smith would have an x-ray later on Tuesday to ascertain the extent of the injury.

On his return from India, Smith rued the lost opportunity and said, "More runs would definitely have helped, but we had opportunities when we fielded. They were difficult, but when you defend a low score, you have to capitalise on even the most difficult catches."

"It is better to bat on this pitch in the evening, but India nevertheless deserves credit for persevering. Rahul batted very well to ensure a victory for his team," he said.

"It's disappointing that we couldn't win the series, but I'm proud of the guys who tried right till the end," Smith added.