Prodigious Cummins' two-day turnaround

What a difference a day makes. Or in Pat Cummins' case, two days.

On Thursday, the 22-year-old speedster was training at the Bupa NCC in Brisbane as part of his preparations for Australia A's tour of India later this month.

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A touch more than 48 hours later, it was announced that Cummins' long-awaited return to red-ball cricket would come not on the subcontinent as planned but in the UK as part of Australia's Ashes squad.

"My immediate goal and planning is for the Indian tour," Cummins told cricket.com.au on Thursday, blissfully unaware that his travel plans were about to be seriously altered.

"I haven't played red ball for a little while so I just have to get used to swinging the ball. They use an SG ball over in India, so it's a totally different ball that you've got to learn.

"So I've just been trying to get back into that and see (what comes) after that."

Ryan Harris's shock retirement on Saturday and the tributes that followed meant the significance of Cummins's return to the Test fold was somewhat passed over.Image Id: ~/media/AD19BE6ED85942638F1386BEF7B279E4

Cummins burst onto the scene as an 18-year-old in 2011 // Getty Images

Three-and-a-half years after he burst onto the international scene - he played his one and only Test to date as a thrillingly raw and undoubtedly talented 18-year-old - the man long touted as Australian cricket's next big thing has just six first-class matches to his name.

Chronic back and foot injuries, not unusual for a young quick, have significantly restricted his time in the middle and his importance to Australia's World Cup plans has seen him spend most of the past 18 months focused squarely on the 50-over game.Image Id: ~/media/512956DB7BFE4355A1FD08AB387B0E2A

Cummins holds the World Cup trophy aloft with Mitch Marsh // Getty Images

But with the World Cup in the bag and his body stronger than it's ever been, the plan to reintroduce Cummins to the first-class and Test arena via the limited-overs formats is close to bearing fruit.

"I feel quite refreshed but I'm also ready to get out there and I feel quite strong," Cummins said.

"It's been great to get the red ball back. The past 12-18 months has been building up towards the World Cup and only playing short form.

"I love playing with the red ball so I've been itching to get back here and the past few weeks I've been able to try and learn to swing the ball again and just get used to playing first-class cricket."Image Id: ~/media/199D59291DF14719BA6E4B7640F7AA1A

Cummins has managed just six first-class matches in four years // Getty Images

While an Ashes debut this year would appear unlikely at this stage - Cummins is technically the fifth fast-bowler in line for selection behind Mitchell Johnson, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Peter Siddle - he isn't letting Australia's logjam of quality pacemen deter him from thinking big for the summer.

A return to the NSW Blues Bupa Sheffield Shield side is his top priority, alongside the likes of Starc and Hazlewood, who have ensured the path from talented but injury-prone young quick to the Test XI has been a well-worn one over the past 12 months.

But the right-armer is confident his long-awaited second Test match is somewhere on the not-too-distant horizon.

"Of course hopefully a Test match (this summer)," he said.

"But I'm not sure. It's still quite a way away ... so we'll wait and see.

"But definitely (I) would love to play some Shield and would obviously love to play some Tests. I want to play every game that's on this summer.

"(Starc and Hazlewood) have probably had a similar pathway to me where they've had a couple of injuries and have spent a couple of years trying to get back into the side full-time.

"I know how well they've been bowling all summer, so to see them go over there (to the West Indies) and perform in totally foreign conditions is really exciting.

"And I guess it bodes pretty well for the Ashes."

It turns out Cummins was closer than he thought to being reunited with his two Blues teammates.

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