Ashes 2025-26: Josh Hazlewood Ruled Out; Pat Cummins Set for Adelaide Return

Australia suffers a setback as injured fast bowler Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out of the remaining Ashes Tests, while Pat Cummins is expected to return for the Adelaide match.

Australia confirmed that Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out of the remaining three Ashes Tests after ongoing hamstring and Achilles issues keep him out since the first two matches. This ends his campaign and he now focuses on regaining fitness for the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka in February.

The update comes as Pat Cummins moves closer to a return for the third Test in Adelaide next week. The 32-year-old fast bowler completeed a strong training block after his lower back injury from the July tour of the West Indies.

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“Really flat for him. A couple of setbacks that we didn’t see coming. We thought he’d play a huge part in the series. But really feel for him that he won’t get that opportunity,” coach Andrew McDonald stated.

Cummins Completes Match-Style Training Block

Pat Cummins completed a full match-style workload in training last week and moves into contention for the Adelaide Test. His preparation includes multiple long spells designed to mirror competitive conditions.

“This is something we’ve done with Pat before with longish layoffs, where we’ve put some time and effort into rebuilding his body,” McDonald explained.

“He was out at Allan Border Field whilst everyone was at the Gabba. He simulated pretty much what a match will look like out there with multiple spells. So we feel as though he’ll be as best prepared as can be. He was well ahead of where we thought he’d be at and it did create a real live conversation for (Cummins playing in) Brisbane. It was debated a lot leading into that Test match. With that in mind, us seeing him further advanced, we feel he’ll be really well placed for the challenges of Adelaide albeit (it’s still) a long way off,” he added.

Australia also monitor Mitchell Starc, who leads the Ashes with 18 wickets from the first two Tests. He is managing a minor left side issue at the Gabba yet remains available for the third match.