Australia’s experienced spinner Nathan Lyon is all but confirmed to be ruled out of the rest of the ongoing Ashes 2025-26 due to the hamstring injury, and now their captain Pat Cummins is also unsure for the remaining two Test matches against England.
Since Australia retained the Ashes urn and took a 3-0 lead in the ongoing five-match Test series against England, Pat Cummins is all set to shift his attention to his fitness. The seasoned pacer is unlikely to play in the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne and is also doubtful for the fifth and final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in Sydney.
Pat Cummins uncertain for the rest of the Ashes 2025-26
Pat Cummins had just returned to action in the third test after missing several months with a back stress injury. The Adelaide Test was the Australian captain’s first match at any level since July, but he still made a strong impact by taking six wickets and helping Australia to beat England by 82 runs and retain the Urn.
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Despite that impressive return, Pat Cummins is being careful with his workload. Cummins said at the post-match presser, “I doubt I’ll be playing Melbourne. And then we’ll have a chat about Sydney. Certainly, before the series, it was while the series was live. Let’s take on the risk and have a crack at it. Now it’s done, I think we need to have a chat about it.”
Brendan Doggett and Michael Neser in a race to replace Pat Cummins
This means Australia may have to change to their pace attack for the Boxing Day Test. If Pat Cummins rests himself for the third Ashes Test, Brendan Doggett and Michael Neser are both in the mix to play against England. However, Neser’s five-wicket haul in Brisbane has kept him ahead in the race.
At the same time, Jhye Richardson is very close to returning to the Test setup. He has recovered well from shoulder surgery and has been training with the Test squad. Although Richardson was not officially part of the squad, the selectors have been keeping a close eye on him.
Jhye Richardson close to Test comeback for Boxing Day Test at MCG
As reported by ESPNcricinfo, former Punjab Kings pacer Jhye Richardson is “very close to being in consideration” for the Boxing Day Test at the MCG against England. If the 29-year-old is included, it would be a special moment. Richardson was last seen in whites in the Boxing Day Test against India.
Soon after that match, the fast bowler decided to undergo surgery to fix ongoing shoulder problems and ended up missing nearly 12 months of cricket. Since then, Richardson has slowly worked his way back. He started by playing grade cricket, then featured for a Cricket Australia XI against the England Lions.
After that, he played for Australia A, and now he is ready for higher-level cricket again. Recently, Richardson also returned to action in the ongoing Big Bash League 2025-26 (BBL 2025-26). After missing Perth Scorchers’ first match as he was with the Test squad, the star pacer made an immediate impact in the next BBL 2025-26 game against Brisbane Heat.
Notably, Richardson has so far played only three Tests and taken 11 wickets since making his Test debut in 2018–19, all thanks to the injuries. Now, he is pushing hard for the Test comeback.
