Cummins a doubt for Ashes series after latest scans

Australia captain Pat Cummins is a doubt for the Ashes series due to his ongoing back injury and is expected to miss the opening Test in Perth against England.

Cummins last played during Australia's 3-0 Test series sweep of West Indies in July where pain initially flared up and he has been on the sidelines since, with scans indicating signs of lumbar bone stress.

The Ashes gets under way on November 21 and Cummins' absence would be a massive blow for Australia and their hopes of retaining the Ashes which they have held since 2018.

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Cummins missed Australia's white-ball series against South Africa and New Zealand, with confirmation he will also miss this month's ODIs and the T20s at the end of October.

According to Australian outlet, The Age, Cummins had a fresh scan last week and was told that while the stress "hot spot" was healing, it has not yet cleared up enough for him to bowl.

The setback will make it difficult for him to get up to speed for the tightly-scheduled Ashes series, which runs until January 8.

Steve Smith will almost certainly be the stand-in replacement captain to face Ben Stokes' side, with Scott Boland likely to take Cummins' place in the bowling attack alongside Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.

Root: England will hit Australia with something different in Ashes

Joe Root has warned England will hit Australia with something different in the Ashes series.

Stokes takes a 16-man squad to Australia for the five-Test series, from November 21 to January 8, with the objective of reclaiming the urn for the first time since 2015.

Root, England's all-time leading run-scorer, spearheads a batting line-up tasked with breaking Australia's dominance and firing the tourists to an historic victory down under.

"It's a big series like that against a side that have got a great record at home, especially against us previously," Root told Sky Sports News. "But I think it's the first time we can hit them with something slightly different.

"We're going out there with a different team, a different mentality, a different way of playing and have played some good cricket of late. Hopefully that stands us in good stead, and we can put across some really good performances and hopefully create some history."

Ashes series in Australia 2025-26🏏

All times UK and Ireland

• First Test: Friday November 21 - Tuesday November 25 (2.30am) - Optus Stadium, Perth
• Second Test (day/night): Thursday December 4 - Monday December 8 (4.30am) - The Gabba, Brisbane
• Third Test: Wednesday December 17 - Sunday December 21 (12am) - Adelaide Oval
• Fourth Test: Thursday December 25 - Monday December 29 (11.30pm) - Melbourne Cricket Ground
• Fifth Test: Sunday January 4 - Thursday January 8 (11.30pm) - Sydney Cricket Ground