The Ashes 2025-26 The iconic urn is still in Australian hands today. A Adelaide takes a clinical 3-0 lead over visitors EnglandYet, the excitement ahead of the prestigious Boxing Day Test match at the MCG, starting on December 26, is tempered by one captain, pat cummins‘Strategic caution.
Cummins now faces an important medical decision point. Managing a lumbar strain injury requires a cool mind and long-term reasoning. With the series secured, the risk of spoiling the festive atmosphere is very high. “I doubt I’ll be able to play Melbourne,” The exhausted captain confessed to the press. His absence leaves a huge void in the world’s most dangerous fast bowling unit. The national selectors will now choose a successor to maintain the 5-0 whitewash.
“I doubt I’ll be able to play in Melbourne.”
🗣️ Pat Cummins on his #ash Availability pic.twitter.com/fm5ISOt1ON
– 7cricket (@7cricket) 21 December 2025
Ashes 2025-26: 3 leading candidates to replace Pat Cummins in Melbourne for Boxing Day Test match against England
Three hungry contenders are now ready to storm the hallowed MCG grounds. Here are the leading candidates to replace Cummins this Boxing Day.
1. Jhay Richardson
The most important development code in the Boxing Day Test, Sports Australia report confirms this jay richardson Has given up his BBL commitments with Perth Scorchers To fly direct to Melbourne. The move indicates that he is the primary target to replace Pat Cummins. Richardson has spent the last four years battling shoulder and soft tissue injuries, but his recent form suggests he has rediscovered his signature rhythm.
- Number: Richardson recently demolished England Lions Australia AFinished with figures of 4/35 while hitting a consistent pace of 140 km/hr.
- Pedigree: He is no stranger to Ashes heroics, having claimed 5/42 in the second innings of the 2021 Adelaide Test to ensure an Australian victory.
- Strategic Fit: His ‘skiddy’ trajectory and natural outswing is considered an ideal match for the MCG, where drop-in pitches often reward bowlers who can extract life through fast pace and low release points.
2. Michael Nesser
If selectors opt for reliability and control over raw speed, Michael Nesser Undisputedly at the forefront. Neser has already made a massive impact this summer, justifying his call-up first test five wicket haul during the second test brisbaneHe may be the most ‘Cummins-like’ bowler in the domestic circuit due to his relentless accuracy and ability to swing the ball both ways,
- Number: Neser has been the gold standard of the Sheffield Shield, boasting extraordinary averages 21.00 In the last two seasons. He already has 1 five-wicket haul in his name in the current 2025/26 Ashes series.
- Pedigree: more than this 100 shield wickets And due to their growing international reputation, they are considered a ‘plug-and-play’ option that requires no adjustment period.
- Strategic Fit: Neser provides an elite level of swing and acts as a “genuine” all-rounder at number eight, potentially cushioning the blow to the batting from Cummins’ absence.
Also read: England captain Ben Stokes opens up on another loss in the Ashes series in Australia
3. Brendan Doggett
Brendan Doggett represents the current squad’s ‘existing’ depth, having made his long-awaited Test debut in the series opener in Perth earlier this summer. A tall, fast bowler from Queensland, Doggett provides the ‘heavy ball’ that Australian captains crave to break stubborn partnerships in the middle overs.
- Number: While the number of wickets in his typical series is lower than that of Neser, Doggett’s role has been to hit the deck hard and maintain the pressure, often bowling at 142+ km/h to destabilize the England top order.
- Pedigree: His rise through the Indigenous XI and Sheffield Shield has been based on stamina; If the MCG pitch proves to be a flat “road” he is capable of bowling long, hard spells of the required 7 to 8 overs.
- Strategic Fit: If Mitchell Starc And Scott Boland Tasked with early swing and the seam, Doggett is the ideal “enforcer” to bowl cross-seam and extract reverse swing as the ball rubs on Melbourne’s abrasive surface.
