PERTH: Australia head coach Andrew McDonald said skipper Pat Cummins ‘looked like a player nearing the completion of his rehabilitation’ after bowling at full tilt in Perth, but added that a final decision on his participation in the second Ashes Test in Brisbane will be taken late.
The early finish in Perth meant Cummins, who is on road to recovery following a lower back stress issue, will have his bowling session on Tuesday instead of Monday. The Australian selectors are set to discuss his readiness for a comeback soon, though they will weigh in the timing carefully.
Should Cummins return in Brisbane and the match runs for all five days, there would still be an eight‑day gap before the third Test takes place in Adelaide. "Once we see him again we'll be able to then join the dots as to what that potentially looks like. But for those who saw him in Perth, I did say this a while back that he'll be up and bowling...and people will be sitting there questioning why he's not playing."