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Australian head coach provides massive injury update on Pat Cummins before The Ashes

Anurag Dasgupta

Cummins injury update [Soiurce: AFP Photo] Cummins injury update [Soiurce: AFP Photo]

Australian Test skipper Pat Cummins faces a race against time as the Kangaroos sweat hard on his injury ahead of the all-important The Ashes 2025 season. His chances of playing in the first Test of the summer remain bleak, but head coach Andre McDonald remains optimistic that the pacer will be fit for the rest of the tour.

Cummins resumed bowling this week after his medical report indicated that the Aussie skipper has a lower back stress fracture, and because of this, Cummins hasn’t bowled a single delivery since July. Apparently, the injury was caught at an early stage and could have been more serious if it hadn’t been diagnosed quickly.

McDonald provides injury update on Pat Cummins

While Cummins has not been cleared to bowl, the head coach is hopeful that he could play some part in Australia’s Ashes campaign.

"My view would be four, four-and-a-half weeks," McDonald said today when asked how long Cummins needs to be bowling for before November 21's series opener, which gives another fortnight for the Aussie skipper, with the Ashes opener six weeks from today.


"Myself and Patty have spoken about that type of timeframe. Or else you start to bring in other risk factors – a) you're not skill ready, b) soft tissue injuries then become a real risk," McDonald added.

Who will replace Cummins if he misses out in the Ashes?

With Cummins a certainty to miss the first Ashes Test match, Australia already have Mitch Starc and Josh Hazlewood in their ranks, and not so surprisingly, Scott Boland will be the third pacer in the bowling attack. All three fast bowlers have upped their preparations for the Ashes.

While Hazlewood and Mitch Starc will take part in the ODI series vs India, and will also play in the Sheffield Shield competition, Boland will feature in Victoria’s first three first-class matches before England arrives.