Australia have leading the Ashes 2025 series vs England 2-0 after big wins in Perth and Brisbane in the first two Tests.
Published: December 10, 2025 12:01 PM IST
Australia have raced ahead to a 2-0 lead in the five-match Ashes 2025 series against England with comprehensive wins in the first two matches at Perth and Brisbane. They have managed to do it without the services of their Test skipper Pat Cummins, who has been sidelined due to injury.
Now in a major boost to the fortunes of the home side, skipper Cummins is all set to make his comeback for the third Test beginning at Adelaide Oval on December 17. Cummins, who is captain of Kavya Maran’s Sunrisers Hyderabad team in IPL, will replace Steve Smith in charge at Adelaide, Cricket Australia announced on Wednesday.
Along with Cummins, off-spinner Nathan Lyon is also expected to return to the playing 11 after being dropped for the ‘Pink Ball’ Test last week at the Gabba in Brisbane to bring in Michael Neser. With Cummins and Lyon returning to the side, two out of Brendan Doggett, Scott Boland and Neser will be dropped for the third Ashes Test.
#PatCummins is back from injury & ready to lead Australia again!
With the skipper returning, will Australia take an unassailable 3-0 lead in Adelaide? ✍
Note: #JoshHazlewood has been ruled out of the series due to injury.#AUSvENG, 3rd Ashes Test, WED, DEC 17, 5 AM pic.twitter.com/RhRIckoHlY
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) December 10, 2025
Jhye Richardson will also scheduled to train with the Australian side in Adelaide as he continues to build towards an international comeback following shoulder surgery in January. The West Australian pacer returned through club cricket in November and last weekend took five wickets in 26 overs for Australia ‘A’ in their massive innings win over England Lions.
Cummins went through the final stages of his recovery from lumbar back stress and has trained strongly with the squad at both Perth and Brisbane. The selection committee were close to picking Cummins from outside the squad for the second Test at the Gabba after his recovery from a lower-back injury progressed quicker than expected.
“We feel as though he’ll be as best prepared as can be,” Australia coach Andrew McDonald told reporters on Tuesday. “He was well ahead of where we thought he’d be at and it did create a real live conversation for (Cummins playing in) Brisbane.
“It was debated a lot leading into that Test match. With that in mind, us seeing him further advanced, we feel he’ll be really well placed for the challenges of Adelaide albeit (it’s still) a long way off. We feel as though the simulation in the nets has got him skill ready. His body’s ready to go. Barring anything else happening in the next week, I’d be expecting Pat to be tossing the coin and putting the blazer on.”
Cummins hasn’t played any cricket since the third Test against West Indies in Jamaica in July when the 32-year-old first felt pain in his back. He has been retained for Rs 18 crore ahead of IPL 2026 season by SRH.
“The gap between (Tests) one and two and two and three was something we thought we could manage, so it will more than likely be the best balanced and available attack for Adelaide,” McDonald said.
“So we wouldn’t be thinking that someone would need to rest there, it’s probably more so in Test matches four and five. Pat will be available and, in the squad, so that obviously creates a different balance to our attack,” the Australian coach added.
Australia squad for third Test: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: india.com
