Cummins and Lyon return as Australia name playing XI for Adelaide Test

On the eve of the third Test in Adelaide, Australia locked in their playing XI, with skipper Pat Cummins and veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon returning to the side in place of all-rounder Michael Neser and pacer Brendan Doggett.

The decision means experienced opener Usman Khawaja remains on the sidelines as he continues his recovery from a back concern, while back-up batter Josh Inglis retains his place in the side and will bat at No. 7.

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Cummins said Khawaja was disappointed at not regaining his place in the Australian XI despite the team’s 2-0 series advantage, but praised the way he handled the news. “He’s a real team man. He’ll do whatever the team needs,” Cummins said of Khawaja in Adelaide on Tuesday.

“And it’s not only Uzzie. You’ve got Beau Webster, who’s missed out on these three Tests. Neser is coming off a five-for, and Doggy (Doggett) played in the first two Tests and did really well. So there’s a disappointed group of players.

“But they’ve all been fantastic around the group. We need a squad to win an Ashes series, and they’ve all been brilliant,” he added.

For Cummins, the match will mark his first Test appearance since featuring against the West Indies earlier this year, with the right-armer revealing he is fully fit and will not be restricted in terms of workload.

“Yeah, I am good to go. I’ve been bowling at 100 percent for a while now. If I had played in Brisbane, I probably would have been on limited overs, but this week it’s just about going out and playing like any other Test match,” Cummins said.

The Australia captain is wary of an improved opposition performance in the crucial ICC World Test Championship contest and wants his side to remain ruthless in their approach.

“I don’t think it’s anything different from the first couple of Tests,” Cummins said.

“You’ve got a couple of players who can win it at any moment. You just need to have Plan A and Plan B, like you do against most teams. They’ve got some obviously really strong players, and you just can’t give them even a small opening,” he added.

Australia XI: Jake Weatherald, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland.