Ashes 2025-26: Pat Cummins ruled out of the opening Test against England in Perth

Australian Test captain Pat Cummins will return to bowling this week despite being officially ruled out of the first Ashes Test.

Cummins will be in Perth come November 21 when cricket’s oldest rivalry resumes at Optus Stadium, but it won’t be in whites, with coach Andrew McDonald hopeful the 32-year-old will be available for the second match in Brisbane on December 4.

The fast bowler has been racing the clock to return from a stress injury in his lower lumber and missed his mark to be able to prove his fitness for the opening contest.

However, McDonald revealed the news wasn’t all bad, with Cummins set to return to bowling this week.

“He’ll be back bowling this week, and that’s a huge step, and that was the big variable we wanted to add in and get that information,” he said on Monday.

“We’re really optimistic for the second Test match. We’re on the journey to that second Test match and we’re very hopeful of a positive outcome.”

McDonald added that the decision to officially rule a line through the skipper had been tough, but said Australia had the depth to cover their star man.

“We’ve grappled with it for a little while, and the nature of the injury is you never know and you’re taking it a little bit day by day,” he said.

“We’ve run out of time, and we flagged a week or so ago that it would take four plus weeks to get him up and running.

“Losing your captain is not ideal, but when you talk about Scott Boland being the potential replacement, it’s not bad.”

Boland is the obvious replacement in the bowling line-up after his remarkable start to life as a Test cricketer and showing strong form to begin the Sheffield Shield season.

In nine home Tests, the Victorian has taken 49 wickets at an average of 12.63. The tourists will well remember his debut four years ago at the Boxing Day Test, when he rifled through their lineup to take 6-7 in a match-winning performance.

With Cummins sidelined, veteran run scorer Steve Smith will take over captaincy duties.

The 36-year-old has returned home after six weeks in New York and will play for NSW in two Sheffield Shield matches before the first Test, including batting at No.4 for Tuesday’s match against Marnus Labuschagne and Queensland.

He said last week he is more relaxed than when he was the full-time captain between 2013 and 2017, and he also knows his batting improves with the role, averaging 68.98 in the role compared with 49.90 when not captain.

McDonald had full faith Smith would slip seamlessly back into the role with Cummins still around the squad to weigh in.

“We flip into Steve Smith being the captain, and we’re very fortunate to have, I suppose, an experienced captain himself,” he said.

“He’s filled in for Patty six times since he’s taken over, so they’re a good working couple, so to speak. They work well together, and there will be a nice handover.

“Patty will be around the group, so he’ll come to Perth with us, I can declare that. You’ll see him at work, and it will almost be ‘why isn’t he playing in Perth?’ That’s where we think he’ll be placed at that stage.”