The Ashes 2021/22 second Test LIVE updates: Pat Cummins out as play resumes in Adelaide

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What does it all mean?

It’s been a chaotic morning on a number of fronts for the Australian team.

We have a new Test captain. Well, sort of. Steve Smith, appointed vice-captain recently, will step up into the top job in Cummins’ absence.

Cricket.com.au scribe Adam Burnett has dug up a beauty of a stat here:

Vice-captain? That will be Travis Head for this match. It seems incredibly to think that just over a week ago Head was no certainty to be in the team. Interestingly, David Warner was overlooked as a potential vice-captain.

Michael Neser will debut in the Australia XI as a direct replacement for Cummins. Glenn McGrath has just presented Neser with his cap.

There could have been huge drama for Australia though. Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon were at the same Adelaide restaurant as Cummins, but were having a meal outside and didn’t come into contact with the man who tested positive to COVID-19.

We’ll have some teams for you shortly.

The latest Cummins news

Pat Cummins has been ruled out of the Adelaide Test just hours before the match after being identified as a close contact of a COVID-19 case, paving the way for Steve Smith to return as captain.

Cummins will miss the second Test against England after becoming a close contact of someone who tested positive for COVID-19 at an Adelaide restaurant.

A source with knowledge of the situation told the Herald and The Age that Australia’s captain was at the restaurant on Wednesday evening, with his brother and another professional cricketer, when a patron at the next table was identified as a COVID-19 case.

A shattered Cummins expressed his disappointment at being unavailable for the game, which paves the way for Michael Neser to make his Test debut.

A Cricket Australia statement read: “Cummins was dining in a restaurant last night and did not breach any biosecurity protocols. He isolated as soon as he became aware of the situation and has since had a PCR test, which produced a negative result.

“SA Health has confirmed that Cummins is a close contact and will be required to isolate for seven days. As a consequence, Cummins is unavailable to play in the second men’s Ashes Test match in Adelaide, starting today.

“We anticipate that he will be available to play in the third Vodafone men’s Ashes Test at the MCG in Melbourne.

“Cummins is understandably very disappointed not to be able to captain Australia for the day-night Test in Adelaide.”

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Hello and welcome

Good afternoon cricket fans,

Welcome to our live blog of the second Test in Adelaide.

If you haven’t seen the news this morning, broken by the Herald and The Age, Australian captain Pat Cummins has been ruled out of the Test due to a COVID scare.

We’ll bring you all the latest news, but it’s been an eventful morning to say the least!

Australian captain Pat Cummins appeals for a wicket in Brisbane. Credit:Getty Images

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