Steve Smith’s brief but incredibly successful stint as Australia’s stand-in captain will come to an end when Pat Cummins takes over for him in the third Ashes Test in Adelaide next week. If there isn’t an unforeseen setback in the next few days, head coach Andrew McDonald confirmed on Tuesday that Cummins has sufficiently recovered to lead the team.
“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. Cummins missed the first two Tests in Perth and Brisbane, where Smith guided Australia to a 2-0 lead with a dominant performance. Smith’s tactical nous is considered to be the best in the Australian setup and it was lovely to see him lead the team in Cummins’ absence.
Usman Khawaja is likely to be fit for Adelaide after a back injury kept him out of the opening two Tests. However, his return may trigger selection debates, with McDonald indicating that Khawaja could bat in the middle order if required after the opening combination of Travis Head and Jake Weatherald impressed in his absence.
From Smith to Cummins in middle of Ashes
While Cummins’ return gives a massive boost to the bowling department, Australia suffered a major setback with Josh Hazlewood ruled out of the remainder of the series due to an Achilles issue. After battling a hamstring injury earlier, the latest setback ends his Ashes campaign, and his focus now shifts to being fit for the 2026 T20 World Cup. Australia are expected to name a 15-man squad soon, with Cummins as the only addition.
Smith has built an impressive record as stand-in captain, now unbeaten in seven matches across stints since 2021, delivering six wins and a draw. His tactical boldness was on display in Brisbane when he pushed for Michael Neser’s selection over Nathan Lyon and set fields aggressively, including stationing keeper Alex Carey up to the stumps for pacers. Neser rewarded the move with a maiden Test five-wicket haul, guiding Australia to another eight-wicket win in the Pink-ball Test.
Despite that success, Cummins’ leadership credentials remain undeniable. Under him, Australia retained the Ashes in England last year and lifted the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023. Still, selection headaches loom ahead of Adelaide, with Lyon and Cummins both returning. Brendan Doggett is the likely omission, but dropping Neser after his Gabba heroics would be harsh. The third and perhaps series-clinching Test for Australia begins on December 17 at the Adelaide Oval.
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