The loss of Cummins with a back stress injury is a massive blow to Australia’s chances of retaining the Ashes urn that Australia have held since 2017.

England have not won a Test on Australian soil since 2011 but will be given a major fillip by the news they will not be facing Australia’s strongest leader and fast-bowling spearhead.

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“That would be devastating,” Cummins said in Brisbane a month ago when asked if there was a possibility he would miss the start of the Ashes. “We’ll be doing everything we can to be right for that, [and] make a few decisions a little bit closer, but [I’m] confident we’ll do the rehab right and give it a good crack.

“This far out, it’s hard to know, but we’re trying to make sure we’re doing everything right to be right for Perth. It’s a big Ashes series, [it] doesn’t get much bigger, so you’re willing to be aggressive and take a few risks to try to play as much of the Tests as you can.

“I’ve had a really good run as fast bowling goes, and I’ve been really well looked after, which has got me through this many Tests. I’ve bowled a lot over the last few years, something was bound to happen at some point, but hopefully get this right and don’t miss too much cricket.”

Cummins’ first state captain, Simon Katich, has raised the possibility of a left-field selection among the pace bowlers as a back-up option – the speedy Henry Thornton, who recently starred for Australia A in India.

“I reckon there might be a smoky as well, a young kid from New South Wales who is now in South Australia who has just played recently for Australia A, if that’s any indicator of how the selectors might be thinking,” Katich told SEN Radio. “That’s Henry Thornton, he’s 28 now, but he’s still young in terms of being inexperienced.

“He’s only played seven first-class games, but he’s a wicket-taker, and that’s something they might be looking at because we know Pat Cummins cracks games open by taking wickets in bursts of two or three at a time. But I think Scott Boland comes first in if he misses that first Test.”

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