Australia captain Pat Cummins not very hopeful of being fit for first Ashes Test

Cummins has been sidelined since the Test series against West Indies in July after it was revealed that the fast bowler has a lumbar bone stress issue.

The Aussie skipper was said he has started running but would need time to get into the nets and start bowling again.

"I'd say probably less likely than likely," Cummins said when about the first Ashes Test availability. "But we've still got a bit of time.

"I'm running today and running kind of every second day, and each runs a little bit longer, and then we get into bowling prep next week.

"So I'm probably a couple of weeks away before actually putting on the spikes and bowling out on the turf. But it's been a good couple of weeks. Each session feels better and better.

"You'd want probably at least a month in the nets. "If you are to play in a Test match, you want to make sure you are right to bowl 20 overs in a day and you don't have to think about it.

"Four weeks is pretty tight, but I think somewhere around that mark."

Cummins admitted he had some level of frustration surrounding the timing of the injury and the prospect of missing part of the Ashes series.

He added: "Some days I'm kind of annoyed because it's the Ashes, and it's a big summer and then other days I'm kind of realistic.

"I've had the last seven or eight years of almost uninterrupted home summers, so I felt like I've had a really good run as a fast bowler."

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