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Pat Cummins injury opens door for Ashes cult favourite: 'Common sense'

Riley Morgan
·Sports Reporter
·3-min read
Scott Boland (pictured right) shares a laugh with Pat Cummins (pictured left).
Scott Boland (pictured right) will take Pat Cummins' (pictured left) spot in the Aussie XI after the captain was ruled out due to injury. (Getty Images)

Fan favourite Scott Boland will return to the Australian XI in the second Test against the West Indies after Pat Cummins was ruled out of the Adelaide Test. Cummins was always a 50/50 heading into the Adelaide Test, but management opted to not risk the captain with a busy schedule ahead of the Australian summer.

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Ashes hero Boland will take Cummins' spot in the pace attack in the day-night match. Cummins had been battling a quad injury since the first innings in Perth, and did not bowl on the final two days as Australia claimed a 164-run victory.

He completed light run-throughs on Tuesday evening, but with little time before Thursday's first ball it was always unlikely the quick would recover in time. "Team medical staff commenced Cummins' recovery in Adelaide but selectors deemed there was not sufficient time for the fast bowler to be fully fit for the match," Cricket Australia said in a statement.

The management team would have been looking ahead at Australia's heavy workload in the coming months when deciding on Cummins' involvement.

Boland became a cult favourite in Australia after taking 18 wickets at an average of 9.55 during his three Tests in the Ashes last summer. The 33-year-old was the 12th man for the first Test against the West Indies, which Australia won by 164 runs.

Steve Smith (pictured middle) will captain Australia after Pat Cummins (pictured right) was ruled out through injury. (Getty Images)
Steve Smith (pictured middle) will captain Australia after Pat Cummins (pictured right) was ruled out through injury. (Getty Images)

Pat Cummins misses second Adelaide Test in a row

Cummins has now missed two day-nights tests at Adelaide Oval in a row. Last year he was rule out as a close contact due to Covid-19.

Steve Smith will captain Australia, which is exactly a year after he was rushed back into the role for the first time since 2018's ball-tampering scandal.

Cummins' absence should see him fit for the South Africa Test series, which starts at the Gabba on December 17.

Lance Morris and Michael Neser remain in the squad as back up for Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, but are unlikely to be used.

Starc and Hazlewood bowled more than 40 overs in Perth on a tight turnaround, but neither appear to have significant issues out of the match.

with AAP

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