Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon return to Australia’s XI for a pivotal third Ashes Test
Australia will name their strongest side of the series so far, welcoming Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon back into the team for Wednesday’s third Test against England. Cummins has not played in five months due to a lower-back issue but has been bowling at full pace in the nets in recent weeks and was close to taking the field in Brisbane.
Lyon missed the previous match as Australia opted for an all-seam attack under lights in the pink-ball Test, a decision he described as leaving him in an “absolutely filthy” mood. Michael Neser, who grabbed six wickets at the Gabba, and Brendan Doggett are the players to miss out.
The lineup announced after Tuesday’s final training session remains otherwise unchanged, meaning Usman Khawaja does not return despite a back problem that began during the first Test in Perth. Travis Head stood in as opener in the second innings at Perth and struck a rapid 69-ball hundred. Australia has chosen to keep their reshaped top order intact, and Khawaja, who turns 39 on Thursday, could potentially be sidelined for the remainder of the series.
Head, who has a superb Adelaide record, has posted centuries in his last three Test appearances at the ground, all coming from the middle order off 125, 122, and 111 balls respectively.
Lyon was the 12th man in Brisbane but is expected to play a major role in Adelaide, a venue known for offering turn on daytime decks.
Damian Hough, Adelaide’s curator, emphasized the importance of spin at the venue: “I don’t want to be the curator at Adelaide where you don’t pick a spinner. Spin needs to play a part here, it always has.”
England’s selection features Will Jacks, a batting all-rounder who has limited off-spin experience in first-class cricket (50 wickets at 42 apiece across 58 matches). England appear to be prioritizing Jacks’ batting at No. 8, while also hoping his part-time bowling offers reliability compared with Shoaib Bashir, who is out of form. The last daytime Test in Adelaide back in 2013 saw Monty Panesar bowling 54 overs and Graeme Swann 45.
Before England’s final warm-up, captain Ben Stokes acknowledged Bashir’s disappointment at missing a later opportunity, saying, “It’s tough for Bash to not get the chance later in the series, but we didn’t expect to be 2-0 down after two games and still have a chance to win the last three.” He added that the decision was made with the aim of giving England the best path to victory, highlighting the equal importance of runs and wickets at this stage. Bashir understood the reasoning.
Both teams will wear black armbands in tribute to the victims of Sunday’s attacks at Bondi Beach.
Teams:
Jake Weatherald, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Josh Inglis, Pat Cummins (capt), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland.
