Pat Cummins played his only Test in Nov 2011 but has been backed for the tour by former Australia fast bowler Brett Lee.

Australia team performance manager Patrick Howard feels that Cummins is ill-suited to conditions in India for their Test series next Feb.

Howard said in an interview on ABC Radio,

“

You look back at the sort of bowlers and combinations needed for that tour. Jason Gillespie was our most successful bowler of the 2004 tour. You have to look at the strike bowler.

”

There is hope for Cummins yet though as Howard feels he could be handy to have around for the home Ashes series in 2017.

Cummins cannot play any Shield games until February as the competition makes way for the Sydney Thunder in BBL|06.

James Pattinson, similarly plagued by back issues, is slightly behind him in readiness and  he doesn’t want to jeopardise his recovery by returning too soon.

He hasn’t yet returned to Sheffield Shield cricket, but Howard made it clear that he, too, was under consideration for the India tour.

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