Australia completed the 2025 Ashes with a 3-0 advantage after the third Test win in Adelaide. Next, the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne gets the spotlight. However, the Australian playing XI will not include Pat Cummins.
The reason behind the non-inclusion of Cummins for the Boxing Day Test is that he has not yet completely recovered from his back injury and is being managed carefully. The Australian captain was undergoing treatment for a stress fracture in his lower back during the Ashes 2025 period. That injury made him miss the white ball series against South Africa and India at home, and also the first two Tests against England.
Cummins made his comeback for the Adelaide Test and he was able to make a big difference right away, by leading the team to an 82-run victory and picking up 6 wickets. The team management has made the decision not to take the risk of aggravating his condition now that they have won the 2025 Ashes and are 3-0 up in the series. Head coach Andrew McDonald has announced that the 32-year-old will not play in the Boxing Day Test and that he will also be sidelined for the remainder of the series.
“He’ll have no role in the rest of the series. That was a talk we had way in advance about his return. To position him for further risk and jeopardise him long term is not something we’re wanting to do. Pat’s totally on board with that. If he would have any setback in the build-up then we would’ve shut him down immediately” McDonald made the statement to the journalists on December 23.
Jhye Richardson has been selected in the squad and could also be in the playing XI. The right-arm seamer is back from injury and the last time he played a Test match was during the 2021 Ashes series.
In the absence of Pat Cummins, Steve Smith is back in the side and will captain the team. He was not present for the third Test due to injury.
Australia is still heading towards another home series whitewash in Ashes. So far, Australia has been coping pretty well without their skipper. Steve Smith, who was the temporary captain during the first two Tests, in return was supported well by the bowlers Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland, and Michael Neser.
Pat Cummins, the regular captain, played his part in the third Test returning where he was immediately effective by taking three wickets in each innings and so assisting in the winning of the match. Smith was injured coming into the third Test; hence the return of Cummins turned out to be a masterstroke for Australia who has already secured the Ashes 2025 and is now very much on the way to another home series clean sweep over England.
For the right-arm pacer, the fact of retaining the urn means also that he’s under less pressure to be brought back quickly which gives Australia the opportunity to manage his workload professionally.
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