Pat Cummins set to return for the third Ashes Test; Josh Hazlewood ruled out of the whole series

Australia Captain Pat Cummins is confirmed to return for the 3rd Ashes Test in Adelaide, but fast bowler Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out of the entire series with an Achilles injury. Coach McDonald confirmed Cummins' readiness after simulation training. Nathan Lyon also expected to return.

By Jack 09 Dec 2025 in Cricket

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Pat Cummins is all set to make his comeback from his five-month injury break and is set to lead the Australian Test side in the third Ashes 2025-26 Test against England at the Adelaide Oval, starting on Wednesday, December 17.

On the other hand, Josh Hazlewood will miss the remainder of the Ashes 2025-26 campaign after suffering another injury setback. Notably, the star pacer had hurt his Achilles tendon last week and has been ruled out of the remainder of the Ashes 2025-26 series.

Australian Head Coach Andrew McDonald has confirmed that Hazlewood will aim to make his comeback ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled to be played in February and March next year in India and Sri Lanka.

"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,” McDonald told reporters on Tuesday, December 9.

Additionally, the head coach also stated that the full-time skipper, Cummins, who hasn’t played any cricket in almost five months, will make his return for the remainder of the Ashes 2025-26 series.

"There won't be any match opportunities for Pat (before Adelaide) – and this is something we've done with Pat before long-ish layoffs, where we've put some time and effort into rebuilding his body," he added.

"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,” McDonald stated.

For the unversed, Australia is currently leading the five-match Test series 2-0 with three more games left in the series.

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