The 'good result' from Steve Smith's finger dislocation

But Smith could push to return for the last two matches in the three-Test series if he can manage batting with discomfort.

He will be required to keep his finger in a splint for up to eight weeks after suffering a compound dislocation of his right little finger in the World Test Championship final defeat to South Africa.

"Fortunately there's no break there," Smith said after Australia's shock loss on Sunday.

"It just split the skin and dislocated it, which made me feel pretty ill at that stage.

"In a splint for eight weeks, and maybe able to play with it in a couple of weeks.

"It was probably the best result I could've asked for."

Wearing a helmet in the slip cordon, Smith was standing far closer to the stumps than normal when he dropped Proteas captain Temba Bavuma in the second innings.

Edges regularly dropped short of fielders during the Test, but this one flew towards Smith and he was unable to hang on to it.

He immediately left the field in immense pain after spilling the catch that would have put Australia in the box seat to claim back-to-back WTC titles.

Smith didn't field on Saturday as South Africa pulled off a landmark upset.

"I was obviously standing pretty close with the helmet on there," he said.

"I kind've lost sight of it with the angle Mitchell Starc was bowling, it kind've went inside Bavuma's hip so I didn't actually quite see it until really late.

"It kind've dipped on me a bit late as well.

"It was tricky, obviously didn't go in my hand well."

During the WTC decider, Smith became the highest non-England run-scorer (604) at Lord's.

He made his debut at the famous ground in 2010, and peeled off brilliant centuries in the 2015 and 2023 Ashes.

But his finger injury now adds to the concussion he suffered at Lord's in 2019 when he was hit in the head by a Jofra Archer bouncer.

"I have a love-hate relationship with this place now," Smith said.

"Had some really good memories, not so good ones as well."