Australia captain Pat Cummins is preparing to return for the second Ashes Test against England in Brisbane on December 4. The fast bowler has been out since July with a lower-back injury and missed the series opener in Perth. Steve Smith will lead the team in his absence.
Cummins has started bowling multiple overs with a shorter run-up. He said he hopes to take the field at the Gabba a week after the first Test.
“That’s the aim, and we’re planning for the second test,” Cummins told reporters in Sydney on Thursday. “I’m feeling good, and my body is responding well. I’ll bowl in Perth and then know exactly where I’m at.”
Cummins has played in every Ashes series for Australia since his debut against England in 2017-18. He said he is unsure how much he can play across the series.
“I want to play as much as I can,” he said. “But if we have a big game and I bowl 40 or 50 overs, and another match starts a few days later, that might be too much. I just want to get right first, then play as much as possible.”
There is a four-day gap between the third Test in Adelaide and the fourth in Melbourne. Another four-day break comes before the final test in Sydney.
Australia named their squad for the first Test on Wednesday. Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland, Sean Abbott, and Brendan Doggett are the fast-bowling options.
