Key pair to miss as Aussies name squad for Boxing Day Test

Skipper Pat Cummins and veteran spinner Nathan Lyon have been left out as Australia unveiled a 15-member squad for the Boxing Day Test against England.

Off-spinner Todd Murphy and fast bowler Jhye Richardson have been drafted into the squad and will come into contention for the fourth Test of the series.

Steve Smith will lead the side in the absence of Cummins, while all-rounders Michael Neser and Beau Webster and back-up quick Brendan Doggett retain their place in the squad despite missing out on selection in the recent Adelaide Test that saw Australia register a 82-run triumph that helped them open up an unassailable 3-0 lead in the Ashes series.

Cummins misses out on the Melbourne Test having only recently returned from his back issue, with Australia coach Andrew McDonald confirming the skipper would miss the remainder of the Ashes series.

"He won't play any part in the rest of the series," McDonald said 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.

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

"Everything went really smoothly, and full credit to him, the medical team and to navigate through that risk profile, to get him back and take six wickets in that game and nail the Ashes series was incredibly pleasing for everyone associated with that."

McDonald said it was too early to tell whether Cummins would be fit for Australia's ICC Men's T20 World Cup campaign in India and Sri Lanka from February 7.

"That'll be an assessment," McDonald said of whether the fast bowler would return in time for the next edition of the T20 World Cup.

"I'm assuming he'll have a check-in scan at some point and gather more information around where his back is at… looking forward to the World Cup, whether he'll be there or not, I can't really say. It's quite grey at the moment. We're hopeful."

Richardson may be considered to replace the Australian skipper for the remainder of the Ashes having made his own return from injury recently and having joined up with the squad in Adelaide prior to the third Test.

The right-armer has only played three Tests throughout his injury-plagued career and the most recent of those came back in 2021 against England in Adelaide, but selectors rate the 29-year-old highly.

Murphy seems the most logical replacement for Lyon, with the Aussies confirming that the veteran spinner will have surgery on his torn right hamstring and will be sidelined for an extended period.

Murphy has featured seven times at Test level for Australia, with his most recent match coming at the start of the year againt Sri Lanka in Galle.

Australia squad (fourth Test only): 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

Ashes schedule

First Test: Perth Stadium, November 21-22 (Australia won by eight wickets)
Second Test: Gabba, December 4-7 (Australia won by eight wickets)
Third Test: Adelaide Oval, December 17-21 (Australia won by 82 runs)
Fourth Test: MCG, December 26-30
Fifth Test: SCG, January 4-8