Australia names unchanged squad for second Ashes Test

Skipper Pat Cummins was left out of an unchanged Australia squad named on Friday for the day-night second Ashes Test against England in Brisbane as he battles back from injury, but under-pressure opener Usman Khawaja kept his place.

Fellow star paceman Josh Hazlewood was also absent, as expected, as he continues his recovery from a hamstring problem.

Cummins has not played since picking up a lower back injury against the West Indies four months ago.

He missed the rapid-fire opening Test in Perth that Australia won by eight wickets inside two days, but has been at full pace in the nets in recent weeks and said last weekend he was “half a chance” to play in Brisbane.

But selectors are clearly taking no chances with the 32-year-old, who will now be targeting the third Test in Adelaide on December 17.

It means Steve Smith will remain captain while Brendan Doggett is set to once more lead the attack with Perth 10-wicket hero Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland, on what is expected to be another fast track.

The Gabba Test gets under way on Dec. 4 with Australia looking to ram home their advantage and take a 2-0 lead in the five-Test series.

Despite missing out Cummins will travel to Brisbane to continue his preparations, Cricket Australia said.

Khawaja made the squad amid mounting calls for the veteran to be dumped.

The 38-year-old, who has not made a Test hundred on home soil since January 2023, failed to open in either innings in Perth because of back spasms.

He was replaced at the top alongside Jake Weatherald initially by Marnus Labuschagne, and then by Travis Head in the second innings.

Head, who usually comes in at five but opens in white-ball cricket, seized the opportunity with all guns blazing, slamming an incredible 123 from just 83 balls to drive Australia to victory.

Whether Khawaja keeps his spot in the XI remains to be seen with Australia not expected to finalise their starting side until the eve of the clash.

Should selectors stick with Head and axe Khawaja, it could open the door to in-form allrounder Beau Webster and a handy extra bowling option.

Pink-ball Test is a bit of lottery, says Broad: Former England cricketer Stuart Broad believes England’s chances in the Brisbane Test will be based on the fact how well they utilise the ‘lottery’ with the pink ball.

“We know the pink-ball Test, having played a few ourselves, is a bit of a lottery,” said Broad on the For The Love of Cricket podcast. “Ultimately, the best team generally wins Test matches but this one, it’s on a bit more of a knife edge of conditions.”

England have lost all three of their pink ball Test, first by 120 runs in Adelaide in 2017, before 275-run and 146-run defeats in Adelaide and Hobart on their last tour in 2021.

“If you can get a brand new ball under the floodlights at the Gabba, you should be taking wickets and you can break the game open,” said Broad.

“It is all about timing a little bit of when you bowl with the brand new ball. That is why I don’t like bowling first in pink-ball cricket because you bowl with a brand new ball in daylight and it doesn’t do a lot.

“By the time you get to the twilight period the ball is 60 overs old and doesn’t do anything - and the new ball comes too late in the day. Winning the toss and batting is pretty crucial in the pink-ball Test in my opinion. That is my feeling in pink-ball cricket. It is going to be one hell of a challenge.”

As compared to England, Australia have won 12 out of their 13 pink ball Test at home, having lost only one against West Indies at the Gabba last year. Teams batting first have won six times in eleven occasions, with the pink ball giving extra assistance to bowlers in night.

“I’m not the biggest fan (of pink-ball Tests) to be honest,” said the veteran pacer.

“It’s quite situational dependent, so if you can manipulate the game to get a brand new ball in the twilight, you’ve got a great chance of doing really well because the ball just seems to zip around a little bit more.

“There’s something about the pink ball, you just can’t pick it up quite as well. You get no clues as well, so the seam is black against the pink background, whereas with a red ball and white seam you might see Mitchell Starc’s in-swinger coming back into the stumps or scrambling around.

Agencies