Australia enter the second Ashes Test at the Gabba with the possibility of injured Pat Cummins returning, even though he was not named in the initial 14-man squad.
The fast bowler travelled with the group, has trained throughout the week, and remains under consideration as Australia delay confirming their final XI until the toss.
Cummins, recovering from a lower back stress injury sustained in July, missed the Perth Test, where Steve Smith captained Australia to an eight-wicket win. According to reports, Cummins has bowled at full pace in the nets this week. He has also undertaken conditioning and recovery sessions under the supervision of the team’s medical and support staff.
How can Pat Cummins play at Brisbane despite not being in the squad?
Australia named their squad for the pink-ball Test last week, with Cummins not being named. He was set to miss a second successive game, with selectors hesitant to rush him back for the contest. However, since the two-day Test ended at Perth, Cummins has been training at full intensity with the team in Brisbane and continues to meet the benchmarks required to be considered for selection. Cricket Australia can finalise the XI up to the toss, meaning Cummins could be added at the last moment if he passes all fitness and medical checks.
Skipper Smith outlined Cummins’ progress a day before the match: “He’s looked pretty good to me, the way he’s bowled in the nets. Obviously, games are of different intensity, but he’s tracking really nicely; he knows his body well. We’ll wait and see, but like I said, he’s close.”
Head coach Andrew McDonald had sounded positive about his recovery as well: “It looked like a player that was nearing the completion of his rehabilitation. The intensity was there, the ball speed was there. So now it’s just really building that resilience, just within the soft tissue, and making sure that we’re not putting him in harm’s way in terms of accelerating it too much.”
How Cummins could fit into Australia’s XI
If cleared to play, the most straightforward way for Cummins to return would be in place of Brendan Doggett, who debuted in Perth. Australia also have the option of dropping spinner Nathan Lyon in order to accommodate a four-seam attack. Smith explained: “We’ll look at the surface and sum things up from there. [The Gabba] is a place where Nathan has done really well in the past; he’s a quality bowler. We’ll weigh up the options and see how we go.”
One change is already confirmed: Usman Khawaja has been ruled out with a back injury, with Travis Head expected to open, while Josh Inglis is likely to return to the middle order.
The second Test begins on Thursday, December 4.
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