Australia captain Steve Smith said on Wednesday that Pat Cummins could make a surprise return for the second Ashes Test at the Gabba on Thursday, despite the fast bowler being left out of the squad named last week while he continues to recover from a back injury.
Cummins missed Australia’s eight-wicket win in Perth and had appeared unlikely to feature in Brisbane. Yet Smith suggested the regular captain had looked sharp in training and might re-enter discussions for the pink-ball match. “He looks pretty good to me, the way he has bowled in the nets,” Smith said in Brisbane. “Obviously the game is a different intensity, for sure, but he is tracking really nicely, he knows his body well and yeah, we will wait and see.”
Smith declined to confirm Nathan Lyon’s place in the XI, leaving open the possibility that selectors could keep the specialist spinner and omit Brendan Doggett to accommodate Cummins.
With Usman Khawaja ruled out due to a back injury, Travis Head is expected to open after his decisive 123 from 83 balls as a stand-in opener in the second innings in Perth. Smith described Khawaja, who turns 39 this month, as a “quality player” but stopped short of endorsing his return. “It is not for me to answer whether I think that is going to happen or not,” he said.
Local reports have indicated that England-born wicketkeeper batter Josh Inglis could return to the middle order for his first Test on home soil, though Smith said Australia would make no decisions until they had assessed the Gabba surface at training. Cricket Australia later confirmed the XI would be finalised at the toss.
Inglis, who made a century on debut in Sri Lanka in January and is set for his fourth Test, drew praise from Smith. “Yeah, he is obviously a pretty attacking batsman, he did really well on his debut in Sri Lanka,” Smith said. “He has been in really good form. He plays fast bowling really nicely so if he gets an opportunity I am sure he will do really well for us.”
Australia have dominated pink-ball Tests at home, winning 12 of 13, with the only defeat coming against West Indies at the Gabba in January 2024. Smith acknowledged the challenges of batting during twilight and under lights but noted Brisbane’s harder surface compared with the spongier Adelaide Oval. “At times the ball can get a little bit soft and you can see guys batting comfortably, I suppose, at stages,” he said. “That is one thing we have to weigh up going into this game and see how it plays out.”
