12/16/25 05:35:00
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12/16 17:33 CST Australia star Steve Smith ruled out of 3rd Ashes cricket test
against England
Australia star Steve Smith ruled out of 3rd Ashes cricket test against England
ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) --- Australia star Steve Smith was ruled out of the
third Ashes cricket test against England just before the toss of the coin on
Wednesday because of a lingering illness.
Smith led Australia to eight-wicket wins in Perth and Brisbane in the absence
of regular skipper Pat Cummins. He hit the winning runs in Brisbane as
Australia took a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
Veteran opener Usman Khawaja was recalled to the starting lineup as a
last-minute replacement for Smith. Khawaja missed the second test with a back
injury.
Fast bowler Cummins won the toss and elected to bat in his first test since
sustaining a back injury in July. England needs a victory in the third test to
have any chance of reclaiming the Ashes.
Players wore wearing black armbands to honor the 15 people killed and dozens
injured in an antisemitic attack at Sydney's iconic Bondi Beach on Sunday that
targeted the Jewish community celebrating the start of Hannukah.
Police described the mass shooting as a terrorist attack inspired by Islamic
State.
Flags were flown at half-mast at the Adelaide Oval on Day 1 of the third test.
Folk singer John Williamson performed his fabled song "True Blue" in a
pre-match program that included a moment's silence, the Indigenous "Welcome to
Country" and the Australian and England anthems.
The late absence of Smith meant there were three changes to Australia's XI from
the second test, with Cummins and veteran spinner Nathan Lyon returning at the
expense of pace bowlers Brendan Doggett and Michael Neser and Khawaja switching
back into the batting lineup at No. 4.
England made one change, with Josh Tongue replacing fellow fast bowler Gus
Atkinson.
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Lineups:
Australia: Jake Weatherald, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Usman Khawaja,
Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Pat Cummins (captain), Mitchell Starc,
Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland.
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben
Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith, Will Jacks, Josh Tongue, Brydon Carse, Jofra
Archer.
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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
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