Australian selectors have named an unchanged squad for the day-night Ashes Test at the Gabba

Pat Cummins’ return has been put on ice for the second Test with the Australian captain left out of the hosts’ squad for the day-night Ashes Test in Brisbane.

Australia today named an unchanged 14-man group for Thursday’s second Test at the Gabba with veteran opener Usman Khawaja included after back spasms prevented him from batting in the second innings of Perth’s series opener.

Australia second Test squad: Steve Smith (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster

But Cummins has been given an extra two weeks to return to full fitness having missed Australia’s eight-wicket first Test win over England in Perth due to a back injury.

The 32-year-old is in the final stages of his recovery from lumbar back stress and will again travel with the squad to Brisbane.

Cummins trained strongly at the SCG on Friday, bowling at what appeared to be full speed to Steve Smith for more than an hour with a pink ball after getting through a similar session at NSW’s Cricket Central headquarters on Tuesday.

The right-armer also trained alongside the Test squad in the lead up to the Ashes opener, but ultimately Australia have decided not to risk their star paceman.

It means native Queenslander Brendan Doggett looks set to retain his place in the XI for Brisbane after collecting five wickets in the first Test in a fine debut outing.

Cummins will then be a strong chance to return to the side for the third match in Adelaide beginning December 17.

Cummins was joined by Josh Hazlewood during his net sessions this week, who noticeably bowled with red ball after Australian coach Andrew McDonald stated on Monday he was confident the right-armer would be available towards the back-end of the Ashes series.

Cummins and Hazlewood train at NSW’s Cricket Central headquarters on Tuesday // Getty

Hazlewood also missed the Ashes opener after suffering a hamstring strain playing for NSW in the Sheffield Shield a week before the first Test.

Khawaja has been named in the second Test squad but will need to prove his fitness when the squad assembles in Brisbane on Sunday after back spasms prevented him from batting in the second innings in Perth.

Travis Head took the 38-year-old left-hander’s place at the top of the order and blazed the second fastest century in Ashes history as Australia cantered to their 205-run target in 28.2 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the series.

Opener Head blazes stunning ton in instant Ashes classic

McDonald said Australia had “a lot to consider” regarding their batting order for the second Test and Head said he was “comfortable” in any position.

Should Khawaja not be passed fit, or Australia opt to rejig their top order pairing following Head’s 69-ball assault, it could open the door for reserve batter Josh Inglis or auxiliary allrounder Beau Webster to return to the side in Brisbane.

“I feel like over the last few years I’ve got a blueprint and a tempo (for how) I want to go about things,” Head said on Triple M radio this week.

“It certainly wasn’t as hard as I went the other day, but I thought my first 35 balls were really good.

“Then obviously their plans changed. They went to the short-pitched bowling, and I felt like there were opportunities to score in certain parts of the ground. I had to be a bit proactive, and I had to try a few things and move around on the crease … but I just wanted to get the ball to certain parts of the ground to score, and all my mind was on was scoring runs.”

Meanwhile, England arrived in Brisbane on Thursday, with their entire first Test XI opting against pink-ball match practice with only unused squad members Jacob Bethell, Matthew Potts and Josh Tongue to feature against the Prime Minister’s XI this weekend.

Ben Stokes’ side will hold their first training session at the Gabba on Sunday afternoon followed by a session under lights on Monday.

2025-26 NRMA Insurance Men’s Ashes

First Test: Australia won by eight wickets

Second Test: December 4-8, The Gabba, Brisbane (D/N), 3pm AEDT

Third Test: December 17-21: Adelaide Oval, 10:30am AEDT

Fourth Test: December 26-30: MCG, Melbourne, 10:30am AEDT

Fifth Test: January 4-8: SCG, Sydney, 10:30am AEDT

Australia squad (second Test only): Steve Smith (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster

England squad: Ben Stokes (c), Harry Brook (vc), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue, Mark Wood