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Josh Hazlewood ruled out of The Ashes with injury; Pat Cummins likely to play 3rd Test

Debashis Sarangi

Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins [Source: AFP]Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins [Source: AFP]

In a massive setback for Australia, veteran fast bowler Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out of the ongoing Ashes series against England due to an injury. As Australian head coach Andrew McDonald confirmed, Hazlewood, who missed the first two Tests of the Ashes, won't participate in the subsequent encounters due to a fresh Achilles injury. 

McDonald confirms Hazlewood's unavailability for the Ashes

On Tuesday, Andrew McDonald told the Australian media that Hazlewood wouldn't be able to feature in the remainder of the Ashes, having sustained an Achilles injury. The right-arm speedster earlier missed the first two Tests in Perth and Adelaide due to a hamstring injury. 

"Unfortunately, Josh won't be a part of the Ashes. 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," McDonald stated. 

Meanwhile, the Australian head coach also revealed that regular skipper Pat Cummins is almost certain to make his Ashes return through the third Test at the Adelaide Oval. 

The experienced campaigner was initially supposed to play the pink ball Test in Brisbane; however, the Australian think tank decided against rushing him into action, giving him enough time to recover from a recurring back problem. 

McDonald confirmed that Cummins would lead the Australian side in Adelaide, unless, of course, he sustains any last-minute injury. 

"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," the former allrounder reckoned. 

Australia have taken a crucial 2-0 lead in the Ashes, quite convincingly winning both the encounters. The third Test starts on December 17 at the Adelaide Oval, with England aiming to bounce back and avoid a humiliating defeat Down Under.