Wood, Hazlewood ruled out of Ashes as Cummins returns
Adelaide: England and Australia have both suffered major blows to their pace attacks, with Mark Wood and Josh Hazlewood ruled out of the remainder of the Ashes series due to injuries, officials from both teams confirmed on Tuesday. In a boost for the hosts, Australia captain Pat Cummins is set to return for the third Test in Adelaide after nearly five months on the sidelines.
Injuries Sideline Key Pacers
Wood, 35, will miss the final three Tests after a recurrence of his left-knee injury sustained during the first Test in Perth. The Durham fast bowler bowled just 11 wicketless overs in his first competitive appearance in 15 months before reporting significant discomfort. He will return to England later this week to work with the ECB medical team on rehabilitation. Surrey seamer Matthew Fisher, who earned his only Test cap during a 2022 tour of the West Indies, has been called up as Wood's replacement.
Australia's injury news proved equally damaging. Hazlewood has been ruled out after developing Achilles soreness while recovering from a hamstring strain sustained in the Sheffield Shield last month. "Unfortunately, Josh won't be a part of the Ashes," head coach Andrew McDonald told reporters. "Really, really flat for him. A couple of setbacks that we didn't see coming." Hazlewood will now target the T20 World Cup in February for his return.
Cummins Set for Adelaide Return
Despite Hazlewood's absence, Australia received encouraging news with Cummins declared fit for the third Test beginning December 17. The 32-year-old, who last played in July during the West Indies tour, completed match simulations at Allan Border Field while his teammates competed in Brisbane. "His body's ready to go and barring anything else happening in the next week, I'd be expecting Pat to be tossing the coin and putting the blazer on," McDonald said.
Australia leads the five-match series 2-0 following eight-wicket victories in Perth and Brisbane, with Mitchell Starc claiming 18 wickets across both Tests. The left-armer's dominance has helped offset the absence of Cummins and Hazlewood, though Cummins' return will bolster an attack seeking an unassailable 3-0 lead.