Australian captain Pat Cummins is set to make his return to the Ashes series in the third Test at Adelaide Oval, starting December 17, 2025, after recovering from a back injury that sidelined him for the first two matches. Cummins confirmed his readiness, stating, "So barring any hiccups, I'll be good to go. Body feels great".
Cummins missed the series opener in Perth and the ongoing day-night match in Brisbane. In his absence, Steve Smith has been leading the Australian side, with Scott Boland taking Cummins' place in the pace attack since the Perth Test.
Speaking to Fox Sports, Cummins mentioned his plans for a final bowling session before heading to Adelaide. "I'll have one more bowl tomorrow (Sunday) and then we'll go to Adelaide and have a bowl there," he said.
Cummins revealed that he was considered for selection for the pink-ball Test in Brisbane but ultimately, the decision was made to avoid any unnecessary risks. "It just felt a bit too acute at the end and didn't really feel fair on the other bowlers," Cummins explained. "So we thought it didn't feel like the right test match to take that risk - so kick it down the road for a week". He also said he was really close to playing in Brisbane, but thought taking up a big load with the ball could have affected his return.
The 32-year-old hasn't played a Test match since July 2025 during the tour of the West Indies. Since then, he has been focused on recovering from the injury. Cummins said that he has been slowly building up momentum and getting some miles into his body.
With Josh Hazlewood potentially still unfit for the Adelaide Test, Cummins is likely to return to the team at the expense of either Brendan Doggett or Michael Neser.
Cummins also highlighted the physical demands of Test cricket, especially when recovering from a bone injury. "Body feels great, I'm bowling at 100 per cent," he said. "The big question mark when coming back from a bone injury is we tend to have a bowl and have a couple of days off, recover, bowl, bowl. I haven't done back-to-back bowls, so one of the high-risk things going into a Test match is you're going to be expected to bowl two days in a row, maybe three days in a row, and potentially quite a few overs".
The Adelaide Test, a day-night affair, is scheduled to commence on December 17. Australia currently has a lead in the Ashes series, having won the first test in Perth.
