Cummins last featured in the three-Test series against the West Indies.
Australia skipper Pat Cummins’ injury has sidelined him from the first fixture of the Ashes 2025-26. The setback of the hosts was much expected as the pacer is yet to resume bowling after sustaining a lumbar stress injury last month. In his absence, former Aussie skipper Steve Smith will be seen to don the captain’s hat again in the series opener, which is set to begin on November 21 in Perth.
According to the reports, the pacer is expected to resume his bowling this week. Cummins would look to be back in the squad ahead of the second Test in Brisbane, starting on December 4. But the 32-year-old’s comeback will entirely depend on how his body reacts in the early stages of returning to the action.
“We sort of flagged this a week or so ago that it would take sort of four plus weeks to get him up and running and we’ve run out of time, unfortunately, but really optimistic and hopeful for the second Test match. With the nature of this injury, it’s never going to be a clear time frame,” stated Australian head coach Andrew McDonald in Canberra.
Previously, the pacer had been troubled by several back injuries early in his career. This even led to a more than five-year gap between his international debut in red-ball matches and his second appearance in the format. However, since then, Cummins has maintained a stunning fitness record to feature in 70 Tests in eight years. Moreover, his figures of 309 scalps, including 14 fifers and two 10-wicket hauls, display sheer brilliance in the longest form of the game.
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The legendary Australian batter, Steve Smith, holds an impressive leadership record in the format. The 36-year-old has led the team to 23 Test victories so far out of 40 matches, with a win percentage of 57.50. His batting average also takes a leap to 68.98 from 49.90 while leading the pack.
The last time Smith led Australia, he had notched up back-to-back tons (141 and 131) to register a dominant whitewash over Sri Lanka earlier this year. However, the Australian side under Cummins has also achieved 23 wins in 37 fixtures so far, with an even better win percentage of 62.16.
| SPAN | MATCHES | WON | LOST | TIED | DRAW | W/L RATIO |
| 2014-2025 | 40 | 23 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 2.300 |
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