Pat Cummins out of second Test as close contact of COVID-19 case

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KATHMANDU: DEC. 16 – The second Test of the current Ashes series between Australia and England will be led by Steve Smith. Captain Pat Cummins will not play in the day-night Test, which begins today.

Australia captain Pat Cummins has been ruled out of the second Test in Adelaide after being deemed a close contact of a COVID-19. Earlier, Australia had won the first Test from Dec. 8 to 12.

Cummins in contact with an infected person at a restaurant

According to Cricket Australia, it has been confirmed that Cummins came in close contact with a COVID-19 on Wednesday night. Cummins was dining at an Adelaide restaurant with his brother and Adelaide Strikers’ bowler Harry Conway when a patron on an adjoining table was identified as a COVID positive case.

Gutted to miss this Test but really excited to see Neser finally get his chance in the baggy green. He has done the hard yards and is a seriously skilful player. Super frustrating but COVID has thrown us all some curve balls over the last couple of years. Will be cheering along!

— Pat Cummins (@patcummins30) December 16, 2021

Cummins immediately left the restaurant and alerted authorities after that. But now he has to stay in isolation for seven days.

Australian players Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon also went to the same restaurant with him. But since they are some distance away, they have not been involved in contact tracing. Michael Neser will make his Test debut as Cummins’ replacement.