Sydney, Nov 24 (NationPress) Australia gained a significant advantage on Tuesday as Josh Hazlewood returned to the nets, making strides in his recovery from the hamstring injury that sidelined him from the first Ashes Test in Perth. At the same time, Pat Cummins was spotted honing his skills with a pink ball, steadily advancing in his efforts to play in the upcoming day-night Test at the Gabba following his back injury.

The pair utilized the facilities at Cricket Central in Sydney while the New South Wales team competed against Tasmania in their ongoing Sheffield Shield match.

Hazlewood’s training session was focused on red-ball bowling, indicating the team’s tactical decisions—he is unlikely to make a comeback at the Gabba, instead targeting a return for Adelaide, which will host a traditional day Test this year.

Australia's head coach, Andrew McDonald, expressed confidence on Monday regarding Hazlewood’s involvement later in the Ashes series, stating, “I know that he'll be available at some point during the series. We've got a little bit of that early rehab to go through to formulate where he may plug into the series, but we expect him to take some part in the series.”

Meanwhile, Cummins has been effectively increasing his bowling intensity, particularly evident as the Perth Test approaches. The selectors remain cautious, requiring full assurance that he can handle the demands of a five-day match—especially since earlier matches in the series may conclude quickly.

McDonald remarked on his progress, saying, “It looked like a player that was nearing the completion of his rehabilitation. The intensity was there, the ball speed was there. There's a lot of positives, but now it's just really building that resilience within the soft tissue and making sure that we're not putting him in harm's way in terms of accelerating it too much.”

The first three Tests are well-structured, with an 11-day break now scheduled between the opener and the second match following the swift finish in Perth. However, post-Adelaide, the schedule tightens—only a four-day interval before the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne and another four days until the match in Sydney, assuming those games extend to their full duration.

With the pink-ball contest on the horizon in Brisbane, the potential for another exhilarating, high-paced Test is promising. Recent Sheffield Shield action supports this, as ten wickets fell during the night session of day three in the Queensland vs. Victoria match, although earlier in the game, wickets were harder to come by.

In that encounter, Xavier Bartlett made a notable impact with figures of 4 for 35 in Victoria’s second innings, complementing his performance with a career-best 72 runs. Bartlett, who has already shown potential in white-ball cricket, could be inching closer to an Ashes chance—especially if Australia seeks additional pace options. However, the expected comeback of Cummins and Hazlewood may keep that opportunity at bay for now.

Michael Neser, who served as the reserve quick in Perth, might also be in contention for Brisbane, being his home ground. Both of his previous Tests have been with the pink ball in Adelaide during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons.

Selectors are also optimistic about Jhye Richardson’s availability later in the series as he recuperates from recent shoulder surgery. Richardson has already trained with the Test squad in Perth and bowled 20 overs for the CA XI against the England Lions, albeit without taking a wicket. He is likely to play for Australia A in Brisbane soon.

After his recent appearance, Richardson provided a positive update: “This game was a lot about physical preparation for me and making sure that we can get through. I'm sure there would have been a few people seeing a bit of ice on it after the bowling, but that's basically just maintenance. The shoulder's feeling really good and it's feeling better and better after each bowl.

“It's a decent hit out, the most overs I've bowled in a while, and it's all part of the process to build up for four and five-day cricket.”