Australia received encouraging signs on Tuesday as Josh Hazlewood returned to the nets, continuing his recovery from the hamstring injury that sidelined him from the opening Ashes Test in Perth. At the same time, Pat Cummins trained with the pink ball, progressing steadily in his bid to be fit for the day-night Test at the Gabba following his back issue.
The pair trained at Cricket Central in Sydney, even as New South Wales took on Tasmania in their ongoing Sheffield Shield fixture.
Hazlewood focused primarily on red-ball bowling, indicating that a Gabba return remains unlikely. Instead, he is targeting a comeback for the Adelaide Test, which will be played as a traditional day game this year.
Australia head coach Andrew McDonald expressed optimism on Monday about Hazlewood featuring later in the series, saying the pacer is expected to play some part in the campaign once his early rehab phase is completed.
Cummins, meanwhile, has been steadily increasing his bowling intensity, something that was already evident in the build-up to the Perth Test. Selectors, however, remain cautious and want complete assurance that he can handle the demands of a five-day match, especially with the possibility of short Tests early in the series.
McDonald said Cummins looked close to completing his rehabilitation, with encouraging ball speed and intensity, but emphasised the need to build soft-tissue resilience and avoid rushing him back.
The first three Tests are well spaced, with an 11-day gap between the opener and the second match after Perth finished early. But the schedule compresses after Adelaide, with only a four-day turnaround before the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne and another four days before Sydney, if those matches go the distance.
With the pink-ball Test approaching in Brisbane, another fast-paced contest cannot be ruled out. Recent Sheffield Shield action supports this trend, with ten wickets falling under lights on day three of the Queensland-Victoria match, although wickets proved harder earlier in the game.
Xavier Bartlett impressed in that fixture with 4 for 35 in Victoria’s second innings, along with a career-best 72 with the bat. His continued progress in domestic cricket could bring him closer to an Ashes chance, though the possible return of Cummins and Hazlewood may limit opportunities.
Michael Neser, the reserve quick in Perth, remains a strong contender for the Gabba Test, particularly on his home ground. Both of his previous Tests have come with the pink ball in Adelaide in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons.
Selectors are also monitoring Jhye Richardson, who is working back from shoulder surgery. He has already trained with the Test squad in Perth and bowled 20 overs for the CA XI against the England Lions. He is expected to feature for Australia A in Brisbane shortly.
After his outing, Richardson said the match was about building physical readiness and that any post-session ice treatment was routine maintenance. He added that his shoulder continues to improve with each spell and that the workload was an important step towards preparing for longer formats.
(IANS)