New Delhi, 27 October (H.S.): Australian pace spearhead Pat Cummins will not be fit for the first Ashes Test in Perth next month, with Steve Smith set to take over the captaincy, Cricket Australia (CA) confirmed on Monday.

Cummins has been sidelined with a lower back problem since July, and his availability for the series opener against England, which begins on November 21, had been in doubt.

In a statement, CA mentioned that Cummins has resumed running and will soon begin bowling, raising hopes that the 32-year-old could be fit for the second day-night Test in Brisbane, starting December 4.While the squad for the series has not yet been announced, Scott Boland is almost certain to join Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc in the bowling attack at Perth Stadium.

Due to Australia’s deep pace-bowling reserves, Boland has had limited opportunities at the Test level in recent years. However, the 36-year-old has been particularly effective on Australia’s hard pitches, taking 62 wickets at an impressive average of 16.53 in his last 14 Test matches.

Cummins has been a fixture in the Australian team for Ashes contests since his debut in the 2017-18 series, playing a key role in both winning and retaining the urn. Smith, who was removed from the captaincy following his involvement in the 2018 Newlands ball-tampering scandal, has captained the side six times in Cummins’ absence since his return to a leadership role.

—————

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar