Australia's Test captain Pat Cummins is on track to make his comeback for the second Ashes Test against England. He is set to miss the first Test in Perth, starting from November 21, due to a back injury that has sidelined him since July 2025. However, even if he returns to play the second Test, Cummins has admitted that it will be tough for him to play back-to-back Test matches.
He has progressed to bowling off a three-quarter run-up and was able to get through almost eight overs in the nets on Wednesday (November 5). Notably, Cummins hasn't felt any significant pain since his return to bowling and there have been no signs of recurrence of stress injury in his lower back either.
"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. 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," Cummins said at Seven Network's cricket launch on Thursday.
"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," Cummins added.
Cummins to be with Australian team in Perth
Even though he has been ruled out of the first Ashes Test, Pat Cummins will be with Australia's squad in Perth. He will train with the squad and also provide his key inputs to captain Steve Smith. "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. But being close to the game and the conversations, I think I will need that going into the second or third Test," Cummins further said.
