Pat Cummins exclusive: Australia captain wary England have 'nothing to lose' and expects 'tense moments' in third Ashes Test in Adelaide
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Updated 16/12/2025 at 13:15 GMT
Anything but victory in the third Test in Adelaide will see England lose their chance of bringing the urn back from Australia, and Pat Cummins is entering the series against a side seeking to avenge two heavy defeats so far. Cummins says England have shown in patches they still have the class to cause problems. The 2025/26 Ashes series is exclusively live in the UK on TNT Sports and discovery+.
‘They have nothing to lose’ – Cummins ready for England to come out swinging in Adelaide
Video credit: TNT Sports
Returning Australia captain Pat Cummins is braced for a wounded England in the white-hot atmosphere of the Adelaide Oval, claiming the tourists now have "nothing to lose" as they seek a victory to keep the series alive.
Cummins, who has missed both eight-wicket victories in Perth and Brisbane, is hoping to make his mark on the third Test of the NRMA Insurance men’s Ashes, having regained his fitness following a troublesome back injury.
England are still reeling from another humbling at The Gabba a fortnight ago, and were even unable to escape the Australian sledging on their break in the beach town of Noosa.
Ben Stokes has described the third Test - to be shown live on TNT Sports and discovery+ - as the most important game in his time as England captain, and Cummins is mindful of how he will be met with a bruised opposition in soaring temperatures this week.
When asked what could prove to be Australia's biggest obstacle, Cummins told TNT Sports: "I think heat's going to be one, it's going to be 30 or 39 degrees on day two.
"You know you're up against a side that has nothing to lose, so you know they're going to fire a few shots back at you. There's no such thing as an easy Test match ever, so it's going to be tough.
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England v Australia Ashes highlights: Stokes' troops fall 2-0 behind in series
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"Hopefully, we can keep putting in some great performances like the guys have in the first two Tests, and we get it done.
"They've had a couple of guys who've done well with the bat and ball.
"We know the class of a lot of those players, so you're always wary of the opposition, but at the moment we've been able to come up with the answers to most of them.
"Hopefully, it keeps rolling on as it has, but I'm sure there will be some tense moments. Even in the first two Test matches, there were times we felt we were behind and fought our way back, so no doubt that will happen at some stage again."
Australia have opted against recalling batter Usman Khawaja as the hosts look for the decisive victory that would extend England's run without winning the Ashes to at least 12 years by the time of the next series, in 2027.
Such an eventuality would increase the pressure on Stokes, head coach Brendon McCullum and managing director Rob Key - but Cummins is focusing on only adding to the strong mentality of his own players, having been forced to watch on during the opening two Tests.
"I'm just hugely excited," Cummins continued. "It's been great to watch. It looks like it's all been under control, but I've been itching to get out there. Knowing I was going to play this one, the last week has been pretty exciting.
"I think at one stage I was trying to get out of the coach's way because I was annoying them a lot! Obviously, my own preparation was probably the most important thing. I was there working with the coaches and the medical staff, but just chipping in where I could.
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‘Everyone is so clear’ – Stokes confident mentality concerns behind England
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"[In Perth and Brisbane] I was just chatting with the coaches and Smithy [Steve Smith], offering my two bobs where needed, but I think the other layer was I knew I was going to come back at some point, so just being there, getting the feel of the series was important, so when I did play I felt like I wasn't coming in cold.
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"The plan [now is to close the series]. Our prep has been great. Everyone's in a really good position. We know England are going to come back strong and have different plans and things they're going to throw at us, but we feel like we've given ourselves the best chance and just can't wait to get out there."
Cummins hails Australia's top order
Cummins believes his group have shown their superior experience of playing the conditions so far - something which has brought a calmness to slightly precarious situations.
"We know that we can find a way to wrestle the game back in our favour," he added. "There's also been times we've been hopeless, but one or two magic moments have dragged us out of it, so I think over the course of the series, that plays out a few times and instils a bit of confidence."
That self-belief has only been strengthened by a more stable top order, with Travis Head and Jake Weatherald entrusted once more despite Khawaja's undoubted pedigree.
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‘I’ll never tell him how to play’ – Stokes defends ‘generational talent’ Brook
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Defending the decision to opt for the same opening partnership, Cummins said: "I think the three innings that they've batted together, it's looked great.
"They've put pressure back on the bowlers, they've set up our innings well and kept that scoreboard ticking over. The rest of the batters have got on the back of that when they've come into bat.
"We're really happy with how it's functioning at the moment, and that's why we didn't feel like we needed to make a change for this Test match.
"It’s a hard call on someone like Uzi [Khawaja] who's had so much success over the last four or five years for our team, but you know he's still in the squad, so if needed he'll be called upon.
"We know he can bat anywhere in the order as well, but it doesn't feel like this Test match was the one to bring him back in for."
Thoughts?
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