Australia’s Test and ODI captain Pat Cummins opened up about his return to international cricket during the second Test of the Ashes 2025-26 series against England. Cummins also explained the reason behind his absence from the ongoing Test in Brisbane and said that the team had taken precautions.
The right-arm fast bowler missed the first two Test matches of the Ashes due to a back injury suffered during the West Indies tour in July. Cummins was ruled out of the initial test. However, after bowling painlessly in the nets in Perth, he was considered a possible option for the second Test at the Gabba.
Australia’s selectors decided not to rush into his recall and decided to wait longer for his recovery. Cummins has remained with the team in Brisbane and continues his training as he works towards a return to the team.
I must be right for Adelaide – Pat Cummins
Pat Cummins revealed he is targeting a comeback in the third Test in Adelaide. He is expected to be available unless something unexpected happens before the match, which is scheduled to begin on December 17.
During the commentary, Cummins said that he would have a few more bowling sessions before the team reaches Adelaide. He said that as long as there is no setback, he will be ready to play.
“I need to be right for Adelaide,” Cummins told Fox Cricket.
He said, “Tomorrow I will have another bowl and then we will go to Adelaide and have another bowl there. Barring any hiccups, I will be ready to go. Body is feeling great.”
I haven’t bowled back-to-back – Pat Cummins
Pat Cummins shared that he was very close to making a comeback in the Brisbane Test. He said that he has not yet tested himself in back-to-back bowling sessions, which is a vital requirement before entering a Test match.
Cummins said, “I am bowling 100 percent. The big question mark when coming back from a bone injury is that we bowl, take a few days off, recover, bowl, bowl. I have not bowled back-to-back.”
He added, “One of the riskiest things in a Test match is that you will be expected to bowl two days in a row, maybe three days in a row, and potentially a lot of overs.”
We thought it was too risky – Pat Cummins
The 32-year-old said the team discussed various possibilities, including limiting his workload to around 20-25 overs. However, Cummins felt that the plan was still uncertain and would not be fair to the rest of the attack or to him as captain.
“So we felt it was too risky. We started making a bit of a game plan; could we try and maybe bowl 20 overs, 25 overs? With Greeny [Cameron Green] “As an all-rounder we feel we have a lot of bowling,” Cummins said.
“We tried to find a way where I could play, but in the end it felt a little too sweet, and it didn’t really feel fair to the other bowlers, or even to me as a captain… It didn’t feel like the right Test match to take a risk on, so we’d start with it for a week.”
Also read: Ravichandran Ashwin lauds West Indies after fourth innings comeback in first Test against New Zealand
