Australia captain Pat Cummins has hinted that he may miss the upcoming Boxing Day Test and potentially the rest of the Ashes series after helping his team secure a dominant win in Adelaide. The Aussies retained the Ashes in just 11 days of play, with Cummins taking six crucial wickets in his first match back after five-and-a-half months out due to a back injury.
Cummins’ Injury Comeback and Future in the Series
Speaking after the win, Cummins revealed that while he feels “really good,” he is unlikely to play in Melbourne and will reassess his availability for Sydney.
“We had a pretty aggressive build-up knowing that it’s the Ashes there to be won and we thought that was worth it. Now that the series has been won, there might be a sense of job’s done and let’s reassess the risk,” Cummins said.
The captain emphasized that his return for this match was a calculated risk to help secure the series, and now the team can carefully manage his workload moving forward.
Team Effort Leads to Ashes Retention
Despite a late surge from England’s Jamie Smith and Will Jacks, Australia maintained control throughout the match. The loss of Nathan Lyon to a suspected hamstring injury could have posed a challenge, but Mitchell Starc stepped up with three wickets on the final day, including Jacks, caught brilliantly by Marnus Labuschagne. Scott Boland finished the match to seal a memorable win for Australia.
Cummins praised the team’s resilience and fielding efforts, noting Alex Carey’s exceptional performance behind the stumps.
“I think that’s when we’re at our best, this cricket team. You can’t really rush things here in Australia. It’s good old-fashioned grind a lot of the time. I loved the toil from all the guys today,” he said.
He also highlighted the group’s ability to respond to challenges, such as injuries, seamlessly:
“Even I missed the first couple of games, Steve stepped right in and it was smooth and seamless. There’s always things that crop up; Nathan Lyon doing his hammy with a couple of hours left today. The boys just go, okay, that’s happened. Let’s crack on. What’s next?”
Reflecting on his personal comeback, Cummins called the experience “worth it” after months of recovery. The packed crowd and the team’s Ashes retention made his return particularly memorable.
