It has been inevitable for a month, but Australia have finally accepted that Pat Cummins won't be available for the first Test against England despite hopes of a Lazarus-like recovery from his lumbar stress injury.

The countdown clock now resets to the Brisbane Test which starts on December 4 after he returns to bowl later this week.

Australia coach Andrew McDonald and chair of selectors George Bailey are bullish that their captain will play a major part in the series and there's a belief he could be ready for the Gabba. Cummins' comments at various media commitments over the past six weeks have been more sober and grounded in the reality that the trajectory of his recovery is completely unknown.

That unknown aside, what does it all mean for Perth?

Harry Brook said "hopefully that p

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