Cummins confirms XI for day-night Ashes Test

Almost three years after he blazed on to the Test scene, Jhye Richardson returns to the Baggy Green Cap having won the nod ahead of fellow quick Michael Neser for the second Vodafone Ashes Test beginning at Adelaide Oval tomorrow.

And Australia captain Pat Cummins also declared today that veteran opener David Warner will play despite his badly bruised ribs.

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Australia XI: Marcus Harris, David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitch Starc, Nathan Lyon, Jhye Richardson

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Richardson, who has spent much of his time away from the Test arena recovering from a serious shoulder dislocation and resultant surgeries, will replace Josh Hazlewood who has been sidelined due to a side strain.

While Hazlewood's injury has been described as minor, it is understood to be the first time he has suffered a side problem and his return for the third Ashes Test in Melbourne starting Boxing Day is not guaranteed.

It's a much rosier outlook for Richardson who impressed with the pink ball during Australia's lengthy training session under lights at Adelaide Oval last night after showing red-hot form for Western Australia during the opening rounds of this season's Marsh Sheffield Shield.

The 25-year-old made his Test debut against Sri Lanka in early 2019, and took five wickets in his maiden outing but injured his right shoulder in a fielding mishap in the UAE later that year as Australia prepared for their ICC World Cup campaign.

"He'll be right," Cummins told reporters today. "He had a bat yesterday, batted with a bit of discomfort but knowing Davey, he's not going to miss this one. Once adrenaline and everything kicks in, (he'll be) a little bit sore but he'll be fine.

"It's one thing batting in the nets but another thing when you walk out and it's a packed crowd. I don't think he had any kind of painkillers or anything yesterday.

"He's played close to 90 Tests, I'm sure a lot of them have been played in discomfort or with (niggles) going into the game. He'll be fine tomorrow."

Neser, who has been a member of every Australia Test squad since the 2019 Ashes series in the UK but has yet to earn a place in the starting XI, did not bowl during last night's training session and is destined to wait longer for his Baggy Green Cap.

It is unclear whether Warner will take part in today's Test-eve optional training run at Adelaide Oval given he continues to suffer from sore ribs after being struck by a Ben Stokes bouncer during the series opener in Brisbane last week.

The 35-year-old batted for a short period in the nets last night, but appeared in discomfort especially in trying to play shots against short-pitched deliveries fired at his chest.

Fellow left-hander Usman Khawaja, the auxiliary specialist batter in the Australia squad, had not played a Test since the third match of the previous series against England at Headingley.

However, Khawaja boasts a remarkable record in pink-ball Tests having scored a century and two fifties from his seven innings in the day-night format.

That includes a match-high knock of 145 as opener against South Africa in 2016, when Warner's absence from the field at the end of the Proteas' batting innings meant he was unable to occupy his regular position at the top of the order.

The national selection panel has previously indicated the current 14-man Australia squad was chosen for the first two Vodafone Tests and will be adjusted as required ahead of the Melbourne Test.

Vodafone Men's Ashes

Squads

Australia: Pat Cummins (c), Steve Smith (vc), Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner

England: Joe Root (c), James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Haseeb Hameed, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

Schedule

First Test: Australia won by nine wickets

Second Test: December 16-20, Adelaide Oval

Third Test: December 26-30, MCG

Fourth Test: January 5-9, SCG

Fifth Test: January 14-18, Blundstone Arena