Cummins determined to lead the bowling attack in Ashes opener

Australia captain Pat Cummins hopes to get back to bowling a month before the beginning of the Ashes on November 21 but admits there is still no fixed recovery timeline for his lumbar bone stress. The experienced campaigner, 32, has been nursing a bad back since the Test series win in the Caribbean two months ago and has already been ruled out of the upcoming white-ball assignments against New Zealand and India.

Despite being on the treatment table, Cummins is determined to lead Australia into the Ashes opener in Perth, even if it means going in without any Sheffield Shield match practice. He has been right in the thick of the action since assuming leadership in November 2021, missing only two Tests due to injury in that timeframe. Cummins boasts of leading Australia to the World Test Championship title, retaining the Ashes in England and winning the ODI World Cup last year.

His bowling prowess and effective leadership has been instrumental to Australia’s grand success, particularly across the last two Ashes campaigns where he played invariably every Test. Having sent down 95.1 overs in four Tests in the United Kingdom and the Caribbean recently, the 32-year-old experienced back pain.

Cummins has been one of Australia’s most durable workhorses in recent times, but has had a debilitating tryst with back injuries. The early years of his career were marred by stress fractures in the back, delaying his return to the format after his outstanding debut in 2011. Since making a full comeback in 2017, Cummins has been at the forefront of Australia’s attack, and has missed just one of the last 20 Tests against England.

Should Cummins not regain serviceable fitness in time for the Ashes opener in Perth, Australia will most probably turn to the tried-and-tested Scott Boland to replace him in the attack while Steve Smith will take over captaincy, like he did in Sri Lanka earlier this year.