Cummins provides injury update on star batter after Lord's defeat

Despite the bitter disappointment of the ICC World Test Championship Final loss, captain Pat Cummins is already shifting his focus to Australia's next challenge: a three-match Test series in the West Indies.

However, a significant concern hangs over their upcoming assignment, with the availability of star batter Steve Smith.

Smith missed the final day's play at Lord's, having suffered a dislocated finger while fielding on day three, casting uncertainty on his participation in the Caribbean tour.

"It's a little bit of a wait and see., but he's good and I think he enjoyed the green whistle for an hour yesterday. But he's positive," Cummins said after Australia's loss to South Africa at Lord's.

"I think it's somewhere around the 10 days to two weeks, and then maybe you try and bat with a splint and see how that looks. So I think it's a bit of a wait and see. I'd say first Test (against the West Indies) maybe unlikely, and then kind of go from there, but it's a bit early just to tell."

Cummins was questioned on whether this defeat and the upcoming Test series against the West Indies, which marks the beginning of the new World Test Championship cycle, will serve as a much-needed reset for the squad.

“To make these finals, it's normally off the back of being really strong at home, but you've got to win some away series, and good chances we get to do it straight away. So, three Test match series, you're straight into a really important cricket," Cummins noted.

"I think that's one of the good things about the World Test Championship — it's every Test series and Test match feels like you're playing for something significant. So in some ways it's good that we get to dust ourselves off and turn around in a couple of weeks and start looking ahead to the next one.”

With a blockbuster home summer, including the Ashes series against England on the horizon later this year, questions are naturally being raised about potential fresh faces in the squad.

Cummins said there was no reason to rush any decision surrounding personnel.

“I think we've got a couple of weeks before the first Test against the Windies, so I think we'll sit down and have a bit of a think after we digest this game. But for me, I think a new WTC cycle in some ways does feel like a bit of a reset," Cummins said.

"It's probably more for the selectors and me to sit down and we kind of map it ahead. I think, say, in white-ball series, a lot of the time it's kind of you build on four-year cycles around World Cups for ODIs. And I think maybe it's an opportunity in the Test match to do something similar, but it's a little bit early to tell.

"But again, coming to this match, you've got guys like Sam Konstas and Scotty Boland, Josh Inglis — all those guys who are right on the fringes."

Cummins also extended his praise to his South African counterpart, Temba Bavuma, who valiantly led his team and, despite battling an injury, forged a match-winning partnership with Aiden Markram.

“I mean first of all how he played, I thought he's fantastic is obviously gave that you know half a chance early and then didn't really give us another look until he got out. He had a big partnership, so I thought he played really well.” said Cummins.

“In terms of leading, it's always pretty hard unless you're kind of playing underneath someone to judge them I think so I don't know but from the outside he looked good.They absolutely deserve to make the final and showed why you know I think they're very deserving champions.”