3 players who can replace Pat Cummins in the Australian playing XI for Melbourne Boxing Day Test vs England | Ashes 2025-26

The Ashes 2025-26 have been retained, the celebrated urn remains in Australian hands today. A clinical 3-0 lead has been forged in Adelaide over the visitors England. Yet, the jubilant mood ahead of the iconic Boxing Day Test match the MCG, starting on December 26, is tempered by a captain Pat Cummins‘ strategic caution.

Cummins now faces a pivotal medical decision point. Managing a lumbar stress injury requires a cold and calculated long-term logic. With the series secured, the risk of a festive breakdown is simply far too high. “I doubt I’ll be playing Melbourne,” the weary skipper admitted to the press. His absence leaves a massive void in the world’s most feared pace-bowling unit. National selectors will now look to choose a successor to maintain the 5-0 whitewash.

"I doubt I'll be playing (in) Melbourne."

🗣️ Pat Cummins on his availability

— 7Cricket (@7Cricket)

Ashes 2025-26: 3 leading candidates to replace Pat Cummins in Melbourne for the Boxing Day Test match against England

Three hungry contenders now stand ready to storm the hallowed MCG turf. Here are the leading candidates to replace Cummins this Boxing Day.

1. Jhye Richardson

The most significant development leading into the Boxing Day Test is the report from Code Sports Australia confirming that Jhye Richardson has left his BBL commitments with the Perth Scorchers to fly directly to Melbourne. This move indicates he is the primary target to replace Pat Cummins. Richardson has spent the last four years battling shoulder and soft-tissue injuries, but his recent form suggests he has rediscovered his elite rhythm.

• The Numbers: Richardson recently dismantled the England Lions for Australia A, finishing with figures of 4/35 while consistently clocking speeds of 140 km/h.
• The Pedigree: He is no stranger to Ashes heroics, having famously claimed 5/42 in the second innings of the 2021 Adelaide Test to secure an Australian victory.
• The Tactical Fit: His ‘skiddy’ trajectory and natural outswing are considered a perfect match for the MCG, where the drop-in pitch often rewards bowlers who can extract life through sheer pace and a lower release point.

2. Michael Neser

If the selectors opt for reliability and control over raw pace, Michael Neser is the undisputed frontrunner. Neser has already made a massive impact this summer, justifying his call-up with a maiden Test five-wicket haul during the second Test at Brisbane. He could be the most ‘Cummins-like’ bowler in the domestic circuit due to his relentless accuracy and ability to move the ball both ways.

• The Numbers: Neser has been the gold standard of the Sheffield Shield, boasting an extraordinary average of just 21.00 over the last two seasons. In the current 2025/26 Ashes series, he already has 1 five-wicket haul to his name.
• The Pedigree: With over 100 Shield wickets and a growing international reputation, he is considered a ‘plug-and-play’ option who requires no adjustment period.
• The Tactical Fit: Neser provides elite-level swing and acts as a “genuine” all-rounder at number eight, potentially cushioning the batting blow dealt by Cummins’ absence.

Also READ: England captain Ben Stokes opens up on another Ashes series defeat in Australia

3. Brendan Doggett

Brendan Doggett represents the ‘incumbent’ depth of the current squad, having made his long-awaited Test debut in the series opener at Perth earlier this summer. A tall, bustling fast bowler from Queensland, Doggett provides the ‘heavy ball’ that Australian captains crave to break stubborn partnerships in the middle overs.

• The Numbers: While his specific series wicket tally is lower than Neser’s, Doggett’s role has been to hit the deck hard and maintain pressure, often bowling at 142+ km/h to unsettle the England top order.
• The Pedigree: His rise through the Indigenous XI and the Sheffield Shield has been built on stamina; he is capable of bowling the long, grueling 7-to-8 over spells required if the MCG pitch proves to be a flat “road.”
• The Tactical Fit: If Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland are tasked with the early swing and seam, Doggett is the ideal “enforcer” to bowl cross-seam and extract reverse swing as the ball scuffs up on the abrasive Melbourne surface.

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