Cricket - The Ashes - Australia v England - Third Test - Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, Australia - December 20, 2025 Australia's Pat Cummins reacts after bowling to England's Ollie Pope REUTERS/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake
ADELAIDE, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Australia captain Pat Cummins praised his players for persevering through a raft of injury setbacks as the hosts celebrated retaining the Ashes with victory over England in the third test in Adelaide on Sunday.
Master batter Steve Smith was a late withdrawal and Nathan Lyon suffered a hamstring injury early on day five but Australia went on to complete an 82-run win for an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series.
Cummins had missed the first two tests with a back injury but Smith stepped in to lead the side to victory in Perth and Brisbane.
"You need a full squad to win an Ashes series, a five-test match series, and again, I think that's one of the things I'm most proud about this group," Cummins told reporters.
"Whatever team I've ever been in, there's always been something that goes wrong at any time, and it's how you deal with that.
"And this group's just amazing for just cracking on, and (saying), 'What's the job that needs to get done? We'll just go and do it.'
"So there's been huge disruption with some of the players.
"I've missed a couple of games, but the way that Steve can just jump in, it's seamless.
"Other players who are on the fringe can jump in and be match-winners straight away.
"I think it's a huge credit to (head coach) Andrew McDonald, the coaching staff and the medical staff that we feel like we've got a big squad that we can draw on."
Playing at number four after Smith withdrew due to vertigo, Usman Khawaja scored 82 and 40.
Travis Head picked up the slow-bowling slack when Lyon pulled up sore while fielding on day five.
Cummins, playing in his first test since the West Indies tour in July, finished with six wickets in Adelaide, including five top-order victims.
Though bowling 17 overs in the fourth innings, Cummins said he was a doubt for the fourth test starting at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on December 26, and there was no need to take any risks with his fitness since the series was already wrapped up.
"There might be a sense of 'job's done', and let's kind of reassess the risk," he said.
"I doubt I'll be playing Melbourne, and then we'll have a chat about Sydney.
"But certainly, before the series, it was, 'Let's take on the risk and have a crack at it'.
"Now it's done."
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutheford)
