MELBOURNE:

With the prospect of captain Pat Cummins being fit for the Ashes receding by the day, Australia's hopes of retaining the urn may rest on managing one of the biggest shake-ups to their leadership and bowling against England in years.

A back stress injury has cast doubt on Cummins participating in the series starting on November 21 in Perth, with the paceman yet to resume bowling in his rehabilitation period.

Losing Cummins for Perth alone would require a major shift in the Australian mindset, given the 32-year-old has been ever-present since making his Ashes debut in 2017/18.

Cummins has played every series-opener and across four Ashes campaigns missed only one match, when ruled out of the 2021 Adelaide test for eating at the same restaurant as a person who tested positive

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