Josh Hazlewood’s Ashes campaign is over, Pat Cummins will again wear the captain’s blazer in Adelaide next week, and Australia’s selectors face another top-order puzzle with Usman Khawaja nearing fitness.
Coach Andrew McDonald confirmed the main headlines on Tuesday while outlining how the fast-bowling group has been managed since the first Test in Perth.
“His body’s ready to go and barring anything else happening in the next week, I’d be expecting Pat to be tossing the coin and putting the blazer on,” McDonald said, easing any lingering doubts about Cummins’ return from a lumbar stress injury that has kept him out of competitive cricket since July.
Hazlewood, meanwhile, has succumbed to an Achilles problem that followed a separate hamstring strain. The right-arm seamer had hoped to re-enter the series in Adelaide but will now aim for October’s T20 World Cup instead.
“Unfortunately, Josh won’t be a part of the Ashes,” McDonald said. “Really, really flat for him. A couple of setbacks that we didn’t see coming, and we thought he would play a huge part in the series.”
“It’s a totally separate injury. It’s somewhere lower in the calf to Achilles region. His preparation will then shift towards the World Cup, which is an incredibly important campaign for us.”
No extra cover has been named for Hazlewood. A 15-player squad, to be released later today, is expected to feature Cummins as the only addition to the group that won in Brisbane. That means Michael Neser, who impressed at the Gabba, remains in contention. Former Australia limited-overs captain Aaron Finch offered a succinct verdict: “Neser nailed it,” yet he cautioned that “selection debate remains” around how many quicks Australia can squeeze into a balanced XI.
Cummins will arrive in Adelaide without a first-class outing since mid-winter, but McDonald was comfortable with the risk.
“There won’t be any match opportunities for Pat, and this is something we’ve done with Pat before, off long layoffs, where we’ve put some time and effort into rebuilding his body,” McDonald said. “He was out at Allan Border Field, whilst everyone was out at the Gabba. So he simulated pretty much what a match will look like out there with multiple spells. So we feel as though he’ll be as best prepared as he can be.”
“He was well ahead of where we thought he’d be at. And it did create a real live conversation for Brisbane, the skill readiness, the loads, how he was pulling up. It was debated a lot leading into that Test match. So with that in mind, us seeing him further advanced, we feel it’d be really well placed for the challenges of Adelaide, albeit off a long way off. We feel as though the simulation in the nets have got him skill ready.”
Attention now shifts to Khawaja’s role. The veteran left-hander, set to turn 39 during the day-night Test, has recovered from a back complaint. Travis Head and Jake Weatherald have put on two brisk 70-plus opening stands, leaving the selectors to weigh continuity against Khawaja’s experience. McDonald kept that discussion open, noting the possibility of Khawaja returning at No. 4 if the top pair stay intact.
For Australia, the third Test represents a chance to tighten their grip on the urn after decisive wins in Perth and Brisbane. For Hazlewood, the focus moves to rehabilitation in the hope of spearheading another global title charge later in the year.
