Cummins racing the clock but Aussies bullish on Ashes action

Australia concede Pat Cummins' chances of playing the Ashes opener are diminishing, yet coach Andrew McDonald insists their fast-bowling captain remains on track to feature against England this summer.

Cummins resumed running this week after medical scans showed some improvement to the lower-back stress injury that has prevented him from bowling since July. That is a small positive given the injury, if left unchecked, could have developed into the type of full-blown stress fracture that derailed the early stages of his career.

While Australia have not given up hope their skipper could play the first Test in Perth, McDonald admits they are now pushing time given Cummins has not yet been cleared to resume bowling.

Anything less than a month of bowling before the series opener would risk further injury.

"My view would be four, four-and-a-half weeks," McDonald said today when asked how long Cummins needs to be bowling for before November 21's series opener, which gives another fortnight for the Aussie skipper, with the Ashes opener six weeks from today.

"Myself and Patty have spoken about that type of timeframe. Or else you start to bring in other risk factors – a) you're not skill ready, b) soft tissue injuries then become a real risk.

"And if you were to do a soft tissue injury early in a series like the Ashes, then it's a long way back from where he's been. So we'll be mindful of all those risk factors."

The fitness of incumbent seamers Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Scott Boland will also be a factor in how hard they push Cummins to play at Perth Stadium.

All three are ramping up their preparation for that match. Starc and Hazlewood will play in the ODI series against India as well as NSW's Sheffield Shield match against Victoria at the SCG on November 10, while Boland is expected to play two of Victoria's next three Shield games.

Steve Smith, Cummins' likely captaincy replacement if he does not play, will also return to Australia soon from New York.

McDonald suggested Cummins' injury outlook had actually become more positive in recent days.

"It's a big couple of weeks, we've added some variables into his training in the last couple of weeks and had a positive result there," he said.

"There's some positive signs speaking to Patty over the last few days. He's a lot more optimistic. Those who have been through this type of injury (say) these things ebb and flow.

"A couple of weeks ago, did he think he was a chance (to play in Perth)? Potentially not, he was a little bit sore. Then you flip it forward two weeks and there's a lot more positivity. We've still got a little bit to go.

"One of the benefits with Patty is that he has had the ability to prepare for Test matches off shortened preparations. So if it was to be shrunken down, we'd be very confident that he would still be able to perform in the first Test.

"But the reality is, we're starting to get tight in terms of the times. We're still optimistic, hopeful, but this time next week, I think we'll be in a position to get better gauge on where he's at."

Starc yesterday stressed the point about Cummins requiring less bowling than most quicks to prepare for Tests.

But more than four months will have elapsed since his most recent game of cricket – the third Test against West Indies in Jamaica on July 12 – by the start of the Ashes.

That could open the door for Cummins to return via the Sheffield Shield or possibly even against the England Lions.

His home state New South Wales have first-class matches that run concurrently with the first Ashes Test (against Tasmania at Cricket Central on November 22) and the second (against Queensland at the SCG on December 5).

England's 'A' team has a similar schedule around the beginning of Australia's Test season. A Cricket Australia XI face the Lions at Lilac Hill in Perth on November 21, before a match against a stronger Australia A side at Allan Border Field on December 5.

"Is it better to get Patty up and moving early in the (Ashes) series, even though he's a little bit underdone, to get into the series, versus potentially finding him a game somewhere else?" McDonald asked. "All those things we'll weigh up with Pat."

2025-26 NRMA Insurance Men's Ashes

First Test: November 21-25, Perth Stadium, 1.30pm AEDT

Second Test: December 4-8, The Gabba, Brisbane (D/N), 3.30pm AEDT

Third Test: December 17-21: Adelaide Oval, 11am AEDT

Fourth Test: December 26-30: MCG, Melbourne, 10.30am AEDT

Fifth Test: January 4-8: SCG, Sydney, 10.30am AEDT