Star Aussie Bowler Confirms Return Ahead of The Ashes

Australia is about to get a huge comeback in the Ashes. A bowler who missed out on the first Test due to an injury has hinted on his return. In the second Test, Pat Cummins could be back to make the series more lively.

The Ashes is all set to commence from 21 November, as Australia has announced its squad for the first Test. The bowling line-up looked strong, having Josh Hazlewood, Scott Boland, Mitchell Starc, and a lot more. But there was a name missing in the same,

Cummins was ruled out of the first Test due to an injury which he suffered earlier. Now, he has given a hint that he will be returning for the second Test with a bang. With Steven Smith leading the team for the first Test, it is awaited to see whether he is able to give Aussies a good start or not.

1. Pat Cummins Injury

Pat Cummins is suffering from a lumbar bone stress injury in his back. This injury has ruled him out of the first Test of the series, as Steven Smith leads Australia in his place. It was reported that Cummins had to start his bowling practice the last week but not being able to do it, means that he will be missing out on the first Test.

The Australian skipper suffered with this injury during the series against the West Indies. After the series had come to an end, his injury was confirmed with the help of the routine scans. Due to this reason, Pat Cummins went on to miss the series against New Zealand and India. And now, be will also be missing out on the first Test of the Ashes.

In October, Cummins participated in an interview where he was asked about his appearance in the Ashes. He indirectly hinted that he won't be playing for the team in the first Test. Soon, this news was also confirmed by Cricket Australia, as they announced Steven Smith as the replacement of Pat Cummins.

2. Possible Return in 2nd Test

Pat Cummins has revealed that he could be returning for the team for the second Test. He has started practicing for the team and thinks that he could reach his full potential by the first Test. His bowling has also progressed, as he is now bowling with

By Wednesday, Cummins was able to bowl upto 8 overs in the nets practice. With this, it is also expected that he would be able to bowl fully by the start of the first Test. Along with that, there are no signs of any recurrence of the injury on his back, as he did not feel any significant back pain since his return.

The second Test will be starting on 4 December, and the officials have not stated whether he will be there or not. But Cummins remains highly optimistic of his return to the line-up. In an interview he , “That's the aim and we're building our plan to the second Test. It's probably not until you get a bit closer that you can really know where you're at.”

Cummins further talked about his plans for the second Test by saying, “The good thing is that I'm pulling up well and the body is great. 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.”

There is one thing which remains a concern, whether he will be able to play all games for the team or not. Cummins will be returning from a back injury and it may not be easy for him to play all games for the team. Moreover, the gaps between the last three Tests is not much, which could be a for him.

On his availability for all Tests, he said, “I'm pretty keen to play as much as I can. But realistically, if we have a big game and 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 right, and if I get right then hopefully I'll try to play most of it as I can.”

3. Cummins in Warm-up Matches

It was also questioned whether Pat Cummins will play the warm-up games for the team or not. He said that there is no need for him to play the warm-up games in the Sheffield Shield or play for the Prime Minister XI against England or England Lions. He will be going to Perth with the team next week and spend some time with the coaching staff.

Cummins said, “Before the 2023 ODI World Cup I flew over to South Africa and watched the last couple of ODIs there. It was actually a really different view from the coach's box. It's a different perspective. So hopefully I gather some information from being in that position through the Test that later on in the series I can use. Or maybe Steve Smith needs something and I have seen something differently from up there.”