Cummins set for Adelaide comeback amid Hazlewood blow

Pat Cummins appears certain to captain Australia in the third NRMA Insurance Ashes Test, but fellow pace star Josh Hazlewood will miss the rest of the series after suffering an injury setback.

Coach Andrew McDonald confirmed today that Hazlewood, who sustained a hamstring strain while bowling in the Sheffield Shield last month and then suffered a setback when he hurt his Achilles last week, would not feature against England this summer.

Hazlewood is now aiming to be cherry ripe for Australia's T20 World Cup tilt in February. 

"Really flat for him," McDonald told reporters on Tuesday. "A couple of setbacks that we didn't see coming. We thought he'd play a huge part in the series. But really feel for him that he won't get that opportunity."

It is full steam ahead however for Cummins who is expected to don the captain's blazer for next week's Adelaide Test, while Nathan Lyon has been tipped to be back for the final three Tests too after being overlooked for the pink-ball match at the Gabba.

Cummins was close to returning on overs restrictions in Brisbane after his recovery from a lower-back injury progressed quicker than expected.

But the 32-year-old ramped up his bowling loads at Allan Border Field last week and McDonald expects him to be named in a 15-man squad on Wednesday to take back over as skipper from Steve Smith.

Cummins has not played any cricket in almost five months – his most recent Test came during July's tour of the Caribbean where he first felt back pain – but the Aussies are confident he will be able to handle the intensity of an Ashes Test.

"There won't be any match opportunities for Pat (before Adelaide) – and this is something we've done with Pat before long-ish layoffs, where we've put some time and effort into rebuilding his body," said McDonald.

"He was out at Allan Border Field whilst everyone was at the Gabba; he simulated pretty much what a match will look like out there with multiple spells.

"So we feel as though he'll be as best prepared as can be. He was well ahead of where we thought he'd be at and it did create a real live conversation for (Cummins playing in) Brisbane.

"It was debated a lot leading into that Test match. With that in mind, us seeing him further advanced, we feel he'll be really well placed for the challenges of Adelaide albeit (it's still) a long way off.

"We feel as though the simulation in the nets has got him skill ready. His body's ready to go. Barring anything else happening in the next week, I'd be expecting Pat to be tossing the coin and putting the blazer on."

McDonald also revealed Mitchell Starc, the series' leading wicket taker with 18 scalps in two Tests, had battled a left side niggle at the Gabba but was in no doubt to be fit for Adelaide.

Australia have long been wary of the "stress points" through the series' final three Tests, knowing fast bowlers may need to be managed carefully with short four-day breaks between Adelaide and Melbourne, and Melbourne and Sydney.

A two-day Test to begin the series in Perth, and a four-day finish in Brisbane, has lightened the load, but Starc (62.5 overs) and Scott Boland (57.4) have both chalked up significant workloads already through two games.

Two of Boland, Michael Neser and Brendon Doggett are now likely to miss in Adelaide, giving Australia at least some fresh pace reinforcements for the final two Tests.

Jhye Richardson has also been floated as a possible late-series option after he got through 26 overs for Australia A last week.

"The gap between (Tests) one and two, and two and three, was something we thought we could manage," said McDonald.

"It's probably more so in Test matches four and five.

"Now obviously we've got a big inclusion coming in – and I think that'll be announced tomorrow officially that Pat will be back in the squad – so that obviously creates a different balance to our attack."  

2025-26 NRMA Insurance Men's Ashes

First Test: Australia won by eight wickets

Second Test: Australia won by eight wickets

Third Test: December 17-21: Adelaide Oval, 10:30am AEDT

Fourth Test: December 26-30: MCG, Melbourne, 10:30am AEDT

Fifth Test: January 4-8: SCG, Sydney, 10:30am AEDT

Australia squad (second Test): Steve Smith (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster

England squad: Ben Stokes (c), Harry Brook (vc), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue, Mark Wood