Cummins, Inglis in frame for second Test

Australia captain Steve Smith has declined to rule out a surprise return for fast bowler Pat Cummins for the second Ashes test against England, while backing middle order option Josh Inglis to make a difference if picked by selectors.
Regular skipper Cummins missed Australia's eight-wicket win in the Perth opener while recovering from a back injury and was omitted from the second test squad named last week.
Smith, however, said Cummins appeared in good condition at training and may be part of selectors' conversations for the pink ball match.
"He looks pretty good to me, the way he's bowled in the nets," the master batter told reporters in Brisbane, where the second test will begin at the Gabba on Thursday.
"Obviously the game's a different intensity, for sure, but he's tracking really nicely, he knows his body well and yeah, we'll wait and see."
Smith also declined to confirm Nathan Lyon's place in the XI, though selectors could opt to retain the specialist spinner and drop one-test fast bowler Brendan Doggett to make room for Cummins.
With Usman Khawaja ruled out with a back injury, Travis Head is expected to open the batting in the day-night test following his match-winning 123 from 83 balls in Perth as a makeshift opener in the second innings.
Smith said 85-test Khawaja, who turns 39 this month, was a "quality player" but declined to back his return to the test XI.
"It's not for me to answer whether I think that's going to happen or not," said Smith.
Local media reported England-born wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis will take Head's spot in the middle order for his first test on home soil but Smith said the team needed to check out the Gabba pitch at training later in the day and might not confirm the XI until early on Thursday.
Inglis scored a century on debut against Sri Lanka in Galle in January, and would line up for his fourth test against Ben Stokes's England.
"Yeah, he's obviously a pretty attacking batsman, he did really well on his debut in Sri Lanka," Smith said of Inglis.
"He's been in really good form .... He plays fast bowling really nicely so if he gets an opportunity I'm sure he'll do really well for us."
Australia have won 12 out of the 13 pink ball tests they have hosted, with their sole loss coming against West Indies at the Gabba in January, 2024. Day-night tests use a pink ball instead of the usual red one because it is easier to see under the lights.
Batting can be hard during the twilight and evening sessions when the pink ball tends to swing the most but Smith said Brisbane's relatively hard wicket compared to the spongier surface at Adelaide Oval, the usual venue for day-night tests, could offer something for batters.
"At times (the ball) can get a little bit soft and you can see guys batting comfortably, I suppose, at stages," said Smith.
Earlier, Khawaja was unable to open either innings in the series opener in Perth because of back spasms and showed some discomfort on Monday in the nets at Brisbane's Gabba ground, where the second test starts on Thursday.
"I thought he looked pretty good in the nets, but he must have thought in himself that he wasn't ready to go."
The 38-year-old will not be replaced in the squad, raising the likelihood that Travis Head will stay at the top of the order after his brilliant innings of 123 as a makeshift opener in Perth drove Australia to an eight-wicket victory.
"I am not sure about the middle-order but expect Travis Head to open," Boland said. "I think the best thing about our team over the last few years is when someone has come out, either due to form or an injury, someone's always stood up and done their job."