The Aussies are now weighing up whether Cummins will be considered for February’s T20 World Cup after shutting down their Test captain for the home summer, having sewn up the Ashes in Adelaide last week. Scott Boland is on track to overcome a hip niggle to play his home Melbourne Test, while the hosts are also confident Starc will be okay to play despite that pair having bowled the most overs in this series.

Cummins pushed the limits of his rehabilitation from a back stress injury to return to Adelaide. After taking six wickets and captaining Australia to a series victory, Australia are now putting the 32-year-old on ice.

Pat Cummins (left) and Nathan Lyon. Photo: BBC

“He won’t play any part in the rest of the series,” McDonald told reporters on Tuesday. “That was a discussion that we had a long time out around his return. 

“Yeah, we were taking on some risk. We’ve now won the series, and that was the goal.

“To position him for further risk and jeopardise him long term is not something that we want to do.

Jhye Richardson celebrates the wicket of Nathan Gilchrist. Photo: Albert Perez/Getty Images

“Pat’s really comfortable with that. If he had had any setback in the build-in as well, we would have shut him down straight away.”

Meanwhile, Todd Murphy is in line for a dream home Boxing Day recall after being called up to Australia’s squad for the fourth Ashes Test alongside fast bowler Jhye Richardson.

Murphy edged out Matt Kuhnemann and Corey Rocchiccioli to replace Nathan Lyon, with the veteran off-spinner to undergo surgery on his injured hamstring.

Smith return as captain

Australia confirmed on Tuesday morning Lyon would require surgery after tearing his right hamstring diving to save a boundary on day five of their Ashes-clinching third Test victory. Steve Smith will return as captain pending his recovery from the inner-ear issues that sidelined him in Adelaide.

Australia squad for fourth Test: Steve Smith (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Todd Murphy, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster

Ins: Todd Murphy, Jhye Richardson. Outs: Pat Cummins (management), Nathan Lyon (hamstring)

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