Relief in the Australian Camp Regarding Cummins, Final Call Before the Brisbane Test

Even after a dominant victory in the opening Ashes Test, the biggest talking point in the Australian camp remained the fitness of captain Pat Cummins. Powered by a blistering century from Travis Head, Australia crushed England within two days in Perth to take a 1-0 lead in the series. But due to injury, they had to take the field without their regular skipper, with Steven Smith stepping in as captain.

Ahead of the second Test, head coach Andrew McDonald has delivered some encouraging news. He revealed that Cummins’ condition has improved significantly and that a final decision would be made before the Brisbane Test begins.

McDonald said, “We’ll have our real discussion before this Test. There’s still a bit of work to do, but everything is very positive.”
He added, “His recovery is nearly complete.”

The coach also mentioned that Cummins was scheduled to bowl in the nets on the fourth day of the first Test. But since the match ended early and the team had to travel to Brisbane, the plan had to be shifted. In his words, “He was supposed to bowl on the fourth day, but that wasn’t possible. Because of travel, it has been pushed from Monday to Tuesday. Once we see him back in the nets, we’ll get a clearer idea of his chances of returning.”

McDonald also cleared up the uncertainty surrounding another pacer, Josh Hazlewood, who is dealing with a hamstring injury. He confirmed that Hazlewood has not been ruled out of the entire series. The coach said, “I don’t think he is out of the whole series. Rehab is ongoing; we’ll give updates in due course. He should be able to return at some stage in the series.”

In the absence of Cummins and Hazlewood in the Perth Test, opportunities were handed to Brendan Doggett and Scott Boland. Doggett impressed with a five-wicket haul on debut, while Boland proved to be the most expensive bowler.