Pat Cummins’ fitness doubts put Australia in panic mode before India series, Ashes

The fitness of the premier pacer and captain, Pat Cummins, has left the Australia National Cricket Team coaching staff and selectors worried ahead of the grand home season.

According to reports in Australian media, Pat Cummins is set to undergo scans on his back after facing some issues following his last international appearance against the West Indies.

Pat Cummins OUT of New Zealand T20Is

Team Australia will be next seen in action in a three-match T20I series against Team New Zealand that will be played on October 1, 3, and 4 in Mount Maunganui.

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According to reports, Pat Cummins is all set to miss the series against the Kiwis as Cricket Australia (CA) plans to wrap him in cotton wool ahead of the Ashes 2025-26.

Cummins last played a competitive match in July 2025 during the third and final game of the Test series between Australia and West Indies.

After that, he went on a break, skipping the white-ball series on the Caribbean tour and the home limited-overs series against South Africa.

Meanwhile, CODE Sports has reported that Pat Cummins will undergo routine scans on his back, having experienced some tightness since returning from the West Indies series.

However, Pat Cummins will return to action in the ODI series against India and feature in at least one Sheffield Shield match, heading into the Ashes, according to a report by News Corp.

The Test guys will play more than one Shield game - Josh Hazlewood

Recently, the premier Australian quick, Josh Hazlewood, spoke to reporters and revealed that the Test bowlers will follow different programs to prepare themselves for the marquee Ashes series.

"The Test guys will play more than one Shield game. They’ll probably play two or three, but everyone’s on different programs. I used it last year and I’ve sort of found that it’s very beneficial. Time on the field, multiple spells in a day, it’s sort of hard to replicate it at training," he said, as quoted by Fox Cricket.

“It felt like over the last 12 months, the best way for me to go about it is just keep on ticking over, keep playing, not having too long off bowling.

“So if I can just keep staying up there, match intensity as long as I can, then that’s sort of the best way for me to go about it.”

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We are thrilled by the overwhelming response to the Indian fan zones - Joel Morrison

On Saturday, Cricket Australia's Executive General Manager, Events and Operations, Joel Morrison, revealed that the Indian fan zones for the India-Australia series have already been sold out across all venues, showcasing the sheer anticipation for the battle between the two teams.

"We are thrilled by the overwhelming response to the Indian fan zones selling out across all eight venues," said Joel Morrison, Cricket Australia's Executive General Manager, Events and Operations.

"We are excited to see the momentum building around this series and the strong passion fans continue to display for the game. We're looking forward to a vibrant atmosphere in the stands and a world-class contest on the field between two great cricketing nations."