Melbourne [Australia], October 10 (ANI): Ahead of the first Test of The Ashes 2025 against England at Perth, Australia head coach Andrew McDonald provided an update on skipper Pat Cummins' injury, saying that the pacer's condition has improved significantly in recent days and that his chances of returning to action look more positive now.

Cummins has been battling a back injury that has prevented him from bowling since July, and the Australia skipper only returned to running earlier this month, just weeks out from the first Test against England in Perth, scheduled for November 21.

McDonald admitted time was running out for Cummins to prove his fitness ahead of the first Test, but the Australia coach is still holding hope the inspirational captain can feature should he make a return to the bowling crease at training within the next 10 days.

'Patty and I have spoken about that type of timeframe. Otherwise, you start to introduce other risk factors. A: You're not skill-ready, or B: Soft tissue injuries then become a real risk. If you were to do a soft tissue injury early in a series like the Ashes, then it's a long way back from where he's been. So we'll be mindful of all those risk factors,' McDonald said as quoted by ICC.

If Cummins is ruled out of the series opener in Perth, it could pave the way for former skipper Steve Smith to captain the side, while back-up quick Scott Boland would seem the most logical replacement for the fast bowler alongside regulars Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.

But McDonald is not giving up hope that his skipper will be there to lead Australia, revealing Cummins' prognosis had actually improved in recent times.

'There's some positive signs speaking to Patty over the last few days. He's a lot more optimistic. Those who have been through this type of injury (say) these things ebb and flow. A couple of weeks ago, did he think he had a chance (to play in Perth)? Potentially not, he was a little bit sore. Then you flip it forward two weeks, and there's a lot more positivity. We've still got a little bit to go,' McDonald noted.

'One of the benefits with Patty is that he has had the ability to prepare for Test matches off shortened preparations. So if it was to be shrunken down, we'd be very confident that he would still be able to perform in the first Test. However, the reality is that we're starting to get tight in terms of time. We're still optimistic, hopeful, but this time next week, I think we'll be in a position to get a better gauge on where he's at,' the 44-year-old added.

Series schedule:

First Test: November 21-25, Perth.

Second Test: December 4-8, Brisbane.

Third Test: December 17-21, Adelaide.

Fourth Test: December 25-29, Melbourne.

Fifth Test: January 3-7, 2026, Sydney. (ANI)