Inglis to get nod for second Ashes Test as Cummins comeback rumours grow

Josh Inglis is expected to join Australia’s batting line-up for the second Ashes Test on Thursday. Speculation is growing that captain Pat Cummins might make a shock comeback in Brisbane.

Travis Head made a match-winning century as a makeshift opener in Perth. He is set to remain at the top of the order in place of the injured Usman Khawaja. England-born Inglis will slot into the middle order.

Stand-in captain Steve Smith would not confirm the team when he spoke on the eve of the Test. He also did not address swirling Cummins comeback rumours. These rumours were widely circulating in the Australian press on Wednesday.

Cummins missed Australia’s eight-wicket win in the Perth opener. He was recovering from a back injury. Consequently, he was omitted from the second Test squad named last week.

Smith, however, said Cummins appeared in good condition at training. He may be part of the selectors’ conversations for the pink-ball match.

“He looks pretty good to me. I’ve seen the way he’s bowled in the nets,” the master batter told reporters at the Gabba. “The game’s intensity is obviously different, for sure. However, he’s tracking really nicely. He knows his body well. Yeah, we’ll wait and see.”

Smith also declined to confirm Nathan Lyon’s place in the XI, though selectors could opt to retain the specialist spinner and drop one-Test fast

Local media reported Inglis will take Head’s spot in the middle order for his first Test on home soil. However, Smith said the team needed to check out the Gabba pitch at training later in the day.

Cricket Australia confirmed later on Wednesday the team would not announce their XI until the toss on match-day.

Inglis scored a century on debut against Sri Lanka in Galle in January. He would line up for his fourth Test against Ben Stokes’ England.

“Yeah, he’s obviously a pretty attacking batsman. He did really well on his debut in Sri Lanka,” Smith said of Inglis. “He’s been in really good form …. He plays fast bowling really nicely so if he gets an opportunity I’m sure he’ll do really well for us.”

England captain Stokes would not be drawn on the prospect of Cummins making an early return from injury.

“He’s done great things not only as a player. He has also excelled since he took on the responsibility of captain,” Stokes said on Wednesday. “If Pat’s there, if Pat’s not there, we’ll still be going in there to try and get the win.”

Australia defeated England inside two days in the first Test in Perth. Now, England need to avoid defeat. Otherwise, they risk seeing their hopes of regaining the Ashes go up in smoke.

Smith expects an unchanged aggressive approach from England. The Gabba under lights is expected to offer plenty of help for both bowling attacks. England is stacked with quicks. Off-spinner Will Jacks has been called in to replace injured speedster Mark Wood.

“They’ve said for a while they’re not going to change their business approach,” Smith said. “I don’t expect too much different this time. They play quite an aggressive brand of cricket. You know when they get going, they’re going to score at a good pace.”

England faced widespread criticism after the first Test ended inside two days. Former players slammed the so-called “Bazball” tactics. These tactics led to a number of batsmen throwing their wickets away with rash shots.

“But for us, it’s not focusing too much on what they do. It’s about ensuring we’ve got our plans in place. We focus on what we do well. We maintain this focus for long periods of time,” said Smith, who added that Australia favoured a different approach.

“I think we adapt to conditions and play what’s in front of us,” Smith said. “That’s the one thing this team has done well for a period of time. “We’ve been able to sum up the conditions. We play what’s in front in real-time. We don’t get back in the shed and say ‘we should have played this way, we should have done this’. Playing what’s in front of us for extended periods is crucial. Doing so in Test cricket holds you in pretty good stead.”

Australia have won 12 out of the 13 pink-ball Tests they have hosted. Their sole loss was against West Indies at the Gabba in January, 2024.

England have not won at the Gabba since 1986 and have only had success there four times in 22 Tests.

“You don’t try and read too much around what happened,” Stokes said. “Don’t focus on the result the last time the team played there.”

“We’ve got grounds in England where we know that when we turn up, we have extra confidence. It’s not necessarily because of your record there, but due to how the crowds are.

“I feel like the Gabba is sort of like their Edgbaston or Headingley. They’ve got a great record in pink-ball Test cricket. We’re just excited to get going. Hopefully, we can get the win this week.”