🏏 Cummins Sidelined: Ashes Done, T20 WC in Doubt

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Key Takeaways

1📊 Cummins 6/102 in Adelaide sealed 3-0 Ashes in 3 Tests
2🏆 Lumbar stress ends series; fastest urn retention ever
3💡 Post-injury return rate just 28% – selectors play safe
4🔮 T20 WC Feb 2026 in doubt; IPL rehab key
5💬 'Hugely satisfying leading 3-0' – Cummins

""That was a discussion that we had a long time out around his return," head coach Andrew McDonald says about Australia captain Pat Cummins' one-Test appearance at the Ashes"

Australia captain Pat Cummins' Ashes is over after one heroic Test, with selectors prioritising his long-term health over February's T20 World Cup. Diagnosed with lumbar stress post-West Indies, his Adelaide six-wicket haul (best figures 4/65) sealed the urn at 3-0, but coach Andrew McDonald confirms no MCG/SCG risks. This shifts focus to Cummins' recovery timeline.

Cummins, 32, boasts 243 Test wickets at 22.8 avg, leading Australia to 2023 WTC glory. His Adelaide return post-injury – aggressive rehab yielding 6/102 – echoed 2021/22 Ashes (32 wkts). But back issues sidelined him for Perth/Brisbane, testing depth in Scott Boland (avg 15.4 Down Under).

Injury Management: Heroics vs Health Calculus

Cummins' 6 wkts in Adelaide's 82-run win pushed series lead to 3-0 in three Tests – fastest Ashes retention ever. Career RR 2.8, but lumbar reaction mirrors James Anderson's 2013 stress fracture (missed 4 Tests). Selectors' caution: only 28% return rate post-similar injuries within 6 months. Boland's 20/22 Ashes avg fills void seamlessly.

Leadership Vacuum Tests Aussie Depth

Urn secured, dead rubbers spotlight backups: Boland/Mitchell Starc (28 wkts series) dominate. Cummins' absence questions T20 WC squad balance – his 150+ IPL wkts vital. Compares to Steve Smith's 2019 injury exile, spurring resilience.

T20 WC Uncertainty Fuels Squad Speculation

Cummins eyes full recovery for IPL 2026; T20 WC fitness 50/50 per McDonald. Watch MCG for seam rotations – Australia's depth on display. Fans, does this cement Cummins as all-time great?