Pat Cummins will make his highly anticipated return to Test cricket on Wednesday, leading Australia against England in the third Test of the Ashes series in Adelaide. Cummins has his first Test match in the bag since mid-July with this clash. He incurred a stress fracture in his back at the time during a Test series against the West Indies.
Cummins endured a long and painful rehabilitation journey that left him out of action for 16 weeks without bowling. His injury was catastrophic, and he required immediate specialized trauma care. His doctors devised an intense rehabilitation schedule to have him return to health in six or seven weeks. Fortunately, his recovery has gone well, bringing him back to the team sooner than originally feared.
Overcoming Adversity
Even for the Australian captain, the road to recovery was not without its challenges. On the first Test, Cummins had to watch from the sidelines. His teammates, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon, split bowling responsibilities but could only bowl two total overs between them. Even following this setback, his will to power through and get back to peak performance wouldn’t change.
Cummins expressed his surprise at how quickly he was able to return, stating, “I genuinely didn’t know because as long as everything tracked well, I would be in this position.” His incredible journey should inspire us, both to Kailash’s dedication and the resources he had access to during rehab.
His average recovery time is just four months. A special surprise was in store, as nobody expected Cummins to meet all of his intentions in just seven short weeks! “We had a pathway that you need to do when you come back from a stress injury like that,” he noted, highlighting the structured approach that guided his recovery.
Changes to the Squad
As Cummins retakes his captaincy from the sidelines, he’ll slot back into the side at the expense of Michael Neser. Moreover, Nathan Lyon is in line to replace Brendan Doggett. Whether these changes are forced or not, they reflect the team’s strategy to bolster their bowling attack against a strong and determined England team.
Cummins remains confident in the depth of Australian fast bowlers, emphasizing, “It shows just great depth in the Aussie cricket system at the moment with fast bowlers.” This depth will be important as Australia will look to build some momentum on the Ashes series.
Looking Ahead
Given how well his bone healing is going, Cummins’ earliest return may be a major factor in deciding the fate of the series. The new Wallaby captain will be hoping to use all of that experience and leadership as they prepare to do battle with their great rivals, England.
