Australia are set to take a late call on whether to bring back regular captain and leading fast bowler Pat Cummins for the second Ashes Test against England.
Cummins and fellow quick Josh Hazlewood had missed the opening match in Perth due to back and hamstring injuries respectively. Both were initially omitted from the squad for the second day-night Test which begins in Brisbane on Thursday.
But on the eve of the Gabba pink-ball contest, Cummins appears to be back in contention, with Cricket Australia announcing that the playing XI will be decided before the toss – a departure from the norm of picking the team the previous day.
Cummins's potential comeback would give Australia a major boost with opponents England already without injured fast bowler Mark Wood. The Aussies had dismissed England for less than 200 in both innings in the first Test without two of their main fast-bowlers and will expect more of the same with an experienced attack.
The Gabba under lights is expected to offer plenty of help to the quicks, though off-spinner Will Jacks has been called in to replace Wood in the England side.
The Aussies must decide whether to retain veteran spinner Nathan Lyon or newcomer Brendan Doggett if Cummins does return. The conditions in Brisbane, which offers assistance to spinners, have made the decision difficult.
Also, Josh Inglis is expected to be added to Australia's batting line-up after opener Usman Khawaja was ruled out due to back injury.
Travis Head, who made a match-winning century as a makeshift opener in Perth, is set to remain at the top of the order along with newcomer Jake Weatherald, and England-born Inglis slotting into the middle order.
On Wednesday, Steve Smith said Cummins had been bowling well in training following his long-standing back injury.
“He looks pretty good to me, the way he's bowling in the nets,” Smith said.
“Obviously the game's a different intensity, but he's tracking really nicely.”
Smith expects Stokes's England to continue with their aggressive approach despite a stunning eight-wicket defeat in Perth.
“They've said for a while they're not going to change the way they go about their business,” Smith said.
“I don't expect too much different this time. They play quite an aggressive brand of cricket and you know when they get going, they're going to score at a good pace.”
England back wild card Jacks
The visitors have decided to go for the untested off spin of all-rounder Jacks in place of Shoaib Bashir in Brisbane.
Jacks, who made two Test appearances on the turning tracks of Pakistan three years ago and has been used exclusively in limited-overs cricket since, was a surprise selection for the tour but has now been thrust into action at the Gabba.
With paceman Wood out, the tourists were always going to make one change to the team and preferred a slow-bowling option over back-up seamers Josh Tongue and Matthew Potts.
Bashir has been England's favoured spinner for most of the last two years, taking 68 wickets in 19 appearances while never managing to shed his tag as a work in progress.
The 22-year-old was the spare man in a squad of 12 for the first Test but has been squeezed out by the broader appeal of Jacks, who offers vastly superior batting and sharper fielding.
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His off-breaks are very much an added string to his bow. Both he and Bashir bowled at Stokes under lights during training and the 27-year-old did enough to get the nod.
Jacks took 6-161 from 40.3 overs on Test debut in Multan but was used sparingly in his next three innings and did not add to that initial haul. Last summer he played only three first-class matches for Surrey, taking five wickets at an average of 38.80.
Speaking about the desire to add a spinner to his attack, Stokes admitted the role Lyon has played in floodlit games for the hosts was a factor.
“Talking about the tactical element of a day-night game, you do try to look at Australia,” he said.
“They play a lot of day-night cricket here, [you can see] how they use their spinner as an attacking option or to give the bowlers an easier rotation and to get through the overs quicker to have more time with the new ball under lights.”
