Cummins injury shakes up Oz Ashes planning

With the prospect of captain Pat Cummins being fit for the Ashes receding by the day, Australia's hopes of retaining the urn may rest on managing one of the biggest shakeups to their leadership and bowling against England in years.

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A back stress injury has cast doubt on Cummins participating in the series starting on Nov 21 in Perth, with the paceman yet to resume bowling in his rehabilitation period.

Losing Cummins for Perth alone would require a major shift in the Australian mindset, given the 32-year-old has been ever-present since making his Ashes debut in 2017/18.

Cummins has played every seriesopener and across four Ashes campaigns missed only one match, when ruled out of the 2021 Adelaide Test for eating at the same restaurant as a person who tested positive for Covid-19.

That durability has seen him claim 91 English wickets at an average of 24.10, leading his regular pace colleagues Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc.

With Cummins fit and firing, Australia have never lost the urn since reclaiming it in 2017.