Pat Cummins revels in Australia return as hosts aim to wrap up Ashes in style – The Athletic

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If you had been told a month ago that Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood would bowl a total of two overs between them before the third Test in Adelaide and Australia would still comfortably be 2-0 up, you would surely have raised an eyebrow.

Well, to be fair, England supporters of a naturally pessimistic disposition would probably have tutted and muttered “Typical”, but the fact can surely still be classed as surprising.

Hazlewood’s hamstring injury has ruled him out for the entire series, but captain Cummins and off-spinner Lyon, armed with their combined 871 Test wickets, both return for the third match to bolster an already potent bowling attack — led by the imperious Mitchell Starc — as Australia look to clinch the Ashes.

Brendan Doggett and Michael Neser are the unfortunate players from the Brisbane Test to miss out.

Cummins was the leading wicket-taker in the series the last time the Ashes were played in Australia in 2021-22, with 21, but the team have hardly missed him this time round, wrapping up their two victories inside six days in total.

Pat Cummins addresses the media over his Australia return (William West/AFP via Getty Images)

The 32-year-old was beaming as he spoke to the media on Tuesday, clearly delighted both to be back and to have watched the team perform so strongly in his absence.

“It’s been fantastic to watch,” he said. “It’s lived up to the hype, it’s been captivating every session. I’ve loved it, I’m itching to get out there, the boys have been fantastic and Steve (Smith) has led brilliantly.”

Cummins revealed Australia’s XI during his media briefing, a change in approach from Brisbane when their team was named at the toss. While his own return and that of Lyon had been anticipated, it had also been mooted that Usman Khawaja might be recalled after back trouble into the middle order. Instead, Australia have stuck with Josh Inglis at No 7.

Khawaja turns 39 this week and Cummins was asked if the door was still open for him at this level, especially given Travis Head’s impact as an opener. “Yeah, potentially,” he replied. “The selectors have been quite adamant we’re picking a side each week.

“One of Uzzie’s great strengths is that he’s scored runs up top and he’s scored runs in the middle. Absolutely, I can see a path back at some point, if needed. The big thing that shifted is Trav opening and how good that’s looked.

“It didn’t feel like it needed to change in the middle order. They (openers Head and Jake Weatherald) have kept the scoreboard ticking over. Whatever has been thrown at them, they’ve had an answer to. It’s really set up the platform for our innings.

“I think you’ve seen people like Marnus (Labuschagne) and Steve (Smith) walk in after that as well and really get on the back of that and start their innings well. I don’t know if it’s scrambled the opposition, but it’s got that momentum and kept that scoreboard ticking over and started our innings brilliantly.”

Travis Head and Jake Weatherald have ensured Australia’s innings has started at breakneck pace (David Gray/AFP via Getty Images)

Adelaide will be Cummins’ first match in any format for five months. His Ashes involvement had been in doubt after he suffered lumbar bone stress — a precursor to a stress fracture — in his lower back during Australia’s tour of the West Indies in July.

However, having been touch-and-go to play in Brisbane earlier this month, Cummins said he had been bowling at 100 per cent for some time.

“I’m good to go,” he said. “If I’d played in Brisbane, I’d have probably been on limited overs, but this week it’s ‘go and play’ like any other Test match.

“I got an initial scan (in July) that showed something potentially brewing. Four weeks later, it was a bit more serious. We know the pathway you need to take to come back from a stress injury like that.

“I had 16 weeks completely off bowling, made sure the bone healed really well. From there, it was about ramping up; normall,y you’d try and ramp up over three or four months, but obviously that would have meant missing the Ashes.

“We set a pretty aggressive plan to get up in six or seven weeks. I haven’t had any hiccups, I’m feeling great — probably better than I would have thought — so here we are.

“If there was a flare-up or a setback, I wouldn’t have played or risked it. Luckily, things have played out pretty well.”

Pat Cummins is now bowling at full tilt again (William West/AFP via Getty Images)

While the series looks to be heading to an inevitable conclusion, Cummins is acutely aware that he has been 2-0 up against England as Australia captain before, only to surrender that lead in 2023 — albeit in English conditions.

“I think there are a few lessons,” he said of that series. “Particularly when you’re overseas, I don’t think you get too many opportunities where a game’s there to be won and we probably let a couple of opportunities slide, particularly at Headingley and the Oval (the two matches England won).

“If you do get those opportunities, which hopefully present themselves a little bit more often at home, you just can’t let them go.

“(England have) got some really strong players, you just can’t give them an opening.”

England batter Harry Brook stated on Monday that he will have to “rein it in” having been dismissed with some “shocking shots” in the first two Tests. Could aggressive England now be caught in two minds with the bat?

“Hard to know,” Cummins said. “That’d be great if they’re trying to find their way out there. That is one of the difficulties of travelling overseas: trying to find a tempo and a method that works.”

Pat Cummins smiles at his pre-match press conference (Mark Brake/Getty Images)

While Cummins was relaxed and smiling, his counterpart Ben Stokes appeared far more pensive and focused as he faced the media again on Tuesday.

He still mustered a quip about “not wanting to be another Nasser Hussain” when it comes to the toss in Adelaide — a reference to the former England captain turned The Athletic columnist’s decision to insert Australia at Brisbane in the first game of the 2002-03 series — having batted first in the opening two Tests.

Stokes echoed his recent messages about mental strength, talking of players needing to stand up for the team and the country and backing themselves to do it.

He was also pleased with the reaction from his players to his provocative comments in Brisbane about the dressing room not being a place for “weak men”.

“We go into this week with a full understanding of what we need to do, but the team is very understanding of some of the other bits I’ve raised in the dressing room, away from you guys,” he said. “Everyone has a very clear mind and understands what this week is all about.

“We knew we had to come here and win this number of games (three) anyway. Everyone knows what needs to happen in the coming week and after that as well, so if anything, it makes things a bit more simple and clear-cut.”

Ben Stokes in pensive mood ahead of the Adelaide Test (Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

One man who knows full well what Stokes is going through is Joe Root, who was captain four years ago when England went 2-0 down.

“Joe’s been an incredible senior player in this group since I’ve become captain,” added Stokes of Root’s influence. “He has been a huge help along this whole journey, not just the last couple of days as well.

“There are other guys in that dressing room who’ve been great at helping me get the messages across that I’ve wanted to over the last week or so.”

Australia: Travis Head, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wicketkeeper), Josh Inglis, Pat Cummins (captain), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland.

England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Will Jacks, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue.