Star Australia batter Steve Smith missed training ahead of the upcoming third Test match of the Ashes 2025-26 series due to illness. Meanwhile, swashbuckling batter Travis Head is likely to continue as the opener in the next match, which is scheduled to begin at the Adelaide Oval on Wednesday, December 17.
Smith has a decent record in Tests at the Adelaide Oval. As per ESPNcricinfo, he has scored over 650 Test runs at an average of 43.46, including one century and four half-centuries. The right-handed batter has scored 174 runs from three matches against England at an average of 34.80, including one half-century.
Australia have taken an early lead in the series by winning the first two Tests. A victory in the upcoming Test would be enough for them to seal the series.
Your daily dose of cricket!
Steve Smith’s Illness Creates Uncertainty Around Australia’s Selection
According to CODE Cricket, Australia’s batting order remains slightly uncertain. Steve Smith missed a training session due to illness. While his absence from the nets raised some questions, the issue is not considered serious. Smith trained the previous day and is expected to be back in action ahead of the match.
“There’s still some intrigue around the makeup of Australia’s top six or seven, especially with Steve Smith throwing a bit of a spanner in the works,” an anchor said.
“He’s feeling slightly unwell today and didn’t train, but there’s no major cause for concern. He trained yesterday and is planning to train again on the eve of the match. However, because he wasn’t at today’s session, he also didn’t take part in slips fielding,” he added.
Steve Smith’s absence from the nets and slips training with illness has thrown the composition of the Aussie middle order into chaos ahead of the third Test, as Travis Head spot in the team is locked in.
FULL DETAILS HERE ▶️ https://t.co/m0SqvnkFTr pic.twitter.com/t9R7wKGRMu
— CODE Cricket (@codecricketau) December 15, 2025
Travis Head Set to Continue as Opener After Facing New Ball in Training
Australia’s team combination remains unsettled, with Beau Webster, Josh Inglis and Usman Khawaja all rotating in the slips during training, leaving uncertainty over which of them will make the XI.
Meanwhile, Travis Head faced the new ball in training. The left-handed batter will continue as opener, as he did in the second Test following his century in Perth.
“Webster, Josh Inglis, and Usman Khawaja were all fielding in the slips cordon, rotating through alongside Marnus Labuschagne. That makes it unclear which of those three, if any, will play in this Test, though it’s likely at least one will.”
“Either way, whoever is selected appears set to bat in the middle order, because Travis Head is facing the new ball, which suggests he will continue to open the batting as he has in the first two Tests since his century in Perth.”
Pat Cummins Returns as Australia Announce Squad for Third Test
Australia have strengthened their squad for the third Ashes Test with the return of Pat Cummins, who is back after recovering from a back injury. He is the only change to the group that has already put England under pressure with a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
Australia dominated the opening two Tests. They wrapped up the first match quickly with an eight-wicket win and followed it up with another one-sided victory in Brisbane by the same margin.
The second Test was especially impressive, given Australia were missing several senior bowlers, including Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon. Mitchell Starc took eight wickets and contributed valuable runs with the bat to earn the Player of the Match award.
Also read: England playing XI for third Ashes 2025-26 Test announced; Gus Atkinson dropped
