Last Updated on 2 years by Charbel Coorey

Cricket News: Pat Cummins out of 2nd Test, Steve Smith to captain | Pat Cummins ruled out of Adelaide Day/Night Test

Australian skipper Pat Cummins has been ruled out of the team’s second Test vs West Indies in Adelaide due to a quad injury. The 29-year-old did not bowl in the second innings of the team’s victory against the visiting Caribbean side in Perth. However, he was confident of returning to the XI for the final game of the series that will commence on 9th December.

“It’s just a small strain so normally about a one-weeker. If you bowl and make it worse it can make it longer, but I’ll spend the next few days rehabbing, getting it right and think it’s a pretty good chance I’ll be good for Adelaide,” he was quoted as saying by the Sydney Morning Herald post the opening game of the series.

Cummins didn’t get through fitness test, so Steve Smith will lead

But, Cummins underwent a fitness test on Wednesday morning and his sidelining is being considered as a precautionary move as Australia will soon face South Africa at home for a three-match Test series starting from 17th December in at the Gabba.

Former captain Steve Smith, infamous for being at the helm of the controversial ‘sandpaper-gate’ scandal will lead Australia in the second Test against West Indies.

This is the second summer in a row that Smith will be the skipper for the Australian side in Adelaide. Last year, Cummins had to sit out of the game played here against England as he had come in close contact with a Covid-19 infected individual.

Scott Boland to replace Pat Cummins in playing XI

33-year-old Victoria pacer Scott Boland will replace Cummins in the playing XI. Australia are leading the series 1-0 courtesy a comfortable victory by 164 runs in the first Test of the series.

Marnus Labuschagne scored a double century and then a century in the first and the second innings respectively before Nathan Lyon picked a six-wicket haul in the fourth innings of the match to help Australia secure a victory. In the process, they bolstered their chances of claiming a top-two finish in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2021-23 standings.

Boland played three Tests in Australia’s 4-0 rout at the Ashes last year. The 33-year-old pacer took 18 wickets in those three games and also got a five-wicket haul and a four-wicket haul to his name each.