Pat Cummins is recovering from a back injury and will miss the first Test against England. He is targeting a return for the second Test in Brisbane but remains cautious about his workload for the series.
Australia captain Pat Cummins has said he is eager to play as much cricket as possible in the upcoming Test summer but admitted he may have to manage his workload carefully depending on the demands of each match. The Aussies named their squad for the first Test against England on Wednesday, and Cummins was a notable absentee as he continues to recover from his long-term back ailment.
Cummins revealed that he will travel to Perth with his teammates to intensify his training and hopes to be fit to play in the second Test at the Gabba from December 4.
The Australia captain did, however, remain tight-lipped about his prospects of backing up quickly and being able to play two Tests in quick succession across the five-match Ashes series.
“I don’t really want to commit to anything this far out. I’m pretty keen to play as much as I can, but realistically, if we have a big game and I bowl 40 or 50 overs and then there’s a game that starts a few days later, it might be a bridge too far. I’m trying to get it right, and if I get it right, then hopefully, I’ll try to play most of it as I can,” Cummins told Australian broadcaster Channel 7 as quoted by ICC.
“That’s the aim, and we’re building our plan for the second Test. It’s probably not until you get a bit closer that you can really know where you’re at. We’re trying to keep that second Test as a live option. I’ll have a really good bowl in Perth, and by then I’ll know where I’m at,” the fast bowler added.
With Cummins sidelined, the Aussies named Scott Boland, Sean Abbott and Brendan Doggett as fast bowling options for the first Test in Perth, with one of the trio likely to partner regular seamers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazelwood and first-choice spinner Nathan Lyon in Australia’s final XI.
Boland appears the most likely to feature out of the back-up pacers with the right-armer having successfully filled the void in recent times, while the Aussies are still waiting to determine whether star all-rounder Cameron Green will be fit enough to bowl during the first Test.
If Cummins is able to prove his fitness ahead of the Brisbane Test, then he will return for the day-night contest, and the Australian skipper suggested this remains his target.
“It (his recovery) has been really good. Yesterday was probably a three-quarter run-up for seven or eight overs, and it’s all feeling good, so I’m on track. It’s probably better than expected. I’m bowling at about 115 or 120(km/h). I’ll have a bit of a bowl later in the week. Each session is incremental, so it’ll be a little bit more intense, and once I go over to Perth, it should be pretty close to a full run-up, and I’ll get some overs in,” the 32-year-old player said.
“It’s absolutely fine. There’s no stress so far. It doesn’t guarantee anything, but all the signs look pretty good so far. I’ve had the same injury a few times – albeit quite a while ago – so I know what to expect. With any break from bowling, you’re going to feel a few aches and creaks. I felt that but I know it’s all normal. I feel really good and feel like we’ve got a really good plan so hopefully I’ll take part in a fair bit of the summer,” he added.
Squads:
Australia (first Test only): Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster.
England: Ben Stokes (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Mark Wood.
Series schedule:
First Test: Perth Stadium, November 21-25.
Second Test: Gabba, December 4-8.
Third Test: Adelaide Oval, December 17-21.
Fourth Test: MCG, December 26-30.
Fifth Test: SCG, January 4-8.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)