Pat Cummins’ return to light bowling has headlined Australia’s best day yet in the build up to the Ashes, with Steve Smith also making a seamless comeback to cricket.
Cummins bowled off a five-step run-up in a brief net session in Sydney on Wednesday morning, as he pushes to play some role in the Ashes.
His net session came hours before the man who will replace him as captain, Smith, plundered a century for NSW against Queensland in the Sheffield Shield.
Playing his first game in two months and after going almost six weeks without picking up a bat while in New York, Smith looked in ominous touch at the Gabba.
The interim captain’s work on the front foot and obvious desire for runs will have brought a smile to selectors’ faces, and been the last thing England will want to see.
The threat of Australia’s best quick Cummins back bowling would also not be on England’s wish list.
Cummins was officially ruled out of the first Test in Perth earlier this week, but does hope to be back for the middle part of the series.
In order to return, Cummins has indicated he would need four-to-six weeks of bowling first.
The second Test in Brisbane starts in a little over five weeks on December 4, while the third Test in Adelaide is seven weeks away, getting underway on December 17.
Cummins bowled off a short run-up at Cricket NSW’s Silverwater headquarters, watched by renowned physio Patrick Farhart and the Blues’ strength and conditioning coach, Dean McNamara.
The quick has not bowled since Australia’s success in the West Indies in July, with scans having since shown a stress injury in his lower back.
Cummins’ bowling return came two days after Australia coach Andrew McDonald expressed hope the inspirational skipper could prove his fitness for the second Test.
“We will see how he pulls up and then we’ll make decisions moving forward,” he said.
“With the nature of this injury, it’s never going to be a clear time frame … I would never put the medical team under that sort of duress either.”
While Scott Boland will almost certainly be the man to replace Cummins in Perth, concerns do linger over allrounder Cameron Green.
Green is bowling at full intensity in the nets after experiencing mild side soreness on return from back surgery, but is playing as a batter only in Western Australia’s Shield match against South Australia.
The allrounder was out for a six-ball duck when he drove Brendan Doggett straight to mid off in Perth on Wednesday.
Any doubts around Green’s ability to bowl could help lock Beau Webster into the XI, after he returned from a rolled ankle for Tasmania against Victoria this week.
In order for Webster to play and bat at No.6, Marnus Labuschagne would likely need to open rather than bat at No.3 if he returns to the side.
Sam Konstas appears well out of contention after leaving a straight ball and being bowled for 10 on Wednesday, while Matt Renshaw and Jake Weatherald are the other contenders to open.
But there are at least no concerns for selectors over the form of Smith, who blitzed Queensland’s attack in Brisbane with an array of drives and pull shots.
NSW finished the second day of the fixture on 5-349 after the opening day was washed out. Smith’s 118 was complemented by Kurtis Patterson’s 118 with the left-hander keeping his name in the national selection panel’s thinking.
Webster out cheaply as Vics hold edge over Tassie
Australia’s incumbent No.6 Beau Webster has fallen for just 11 in his Sheffield Shield return for Tasmania.
A day after the allrounder opened the bowling and took 1-26 from 12 overs, Webster failed to make an impact with the bat in the Tigers’ match against Victoria at the Junction Oval.
Tasmania ended their first innings with a deficit of 24 after being bowled out for 232 on day two.
In reply, openers Campbell Kellaway (15 not out) and Harry Dixon (19) made an encouraging start, but the latter was bowled by Tigers speedster Riley Meredith.
The Vics went to stumps at 1-35, a lead of 59, with quick Mitchell Perry joining Kellaway as a nightwatchman.
Tasmania started brightly on Wednesday after losing Test Jake Weatherald for a duck before stumps on day one, but suffered a collapse of 4-18.
Webster was part of the carnage, bowled by Vics captain Will Sutherland (2-45) after facing just 16 balls.
The allrounder on Tuesday admitted he was unsure if he would retain his spot for Australia’s opening Test of the Ashes in November.
“If they see me as a pure middle-order batsman, then I’m probably going to get squeezed out,” Webster conceded.
“I hope I’m still in the conversation certainly as a batter only. If not, if it’s just the make-up of the team. I will plug away back in first-class cricket – there’s a lot of Test cricket coming up.
Perry did most of the damage, taking for 5-58 for the third five-wicket haul of his first-class career.
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