MELBOURNE: Australia Test and ODI captain Pat Cummins will cool his heels after his successful hit-and-run Ashes appearance in Adelaide as he sets sights on the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka in February next year.
Cummins missed the first two Ashes Tests due to a lower-back injury he suffered during the West Indies tour in June-July, but made a brilliant return in the third match in Adelaide to pick up six wickets in the series-clinching win.
With the Ashes urn in their hands, Australia decided to rule Cummins out of the two remaining Tests.
The 32-year-old Cummins said on Friday he will now take rest before targeting the T20 World Cup which begins in early February.
"Feeling good, so got through Adelaide unscathed so pretty happy," he told Channel 7 during the lunch break on the first day of the Boxing Day Test here.
"As of a few weeks ago, was still coming back from a back injury so playing back-to-back Test matches was pretty high risk.
"Cool our heels for a little bit with T20 World Cup next month," Cummins added.
His optimism came after coach Andrew McDonald said earlier this week that Cummins was not a certainty for Australia's T20 World Cup campaign.
Australia's first match is on February 11 against Ireland in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Although Cummins captains the Test and ODI teams, all-rounder Mitch Marsh leads Australia in the shortest format.
Cummins also said veteran spinner Nathan Lyon is facing a lengthy period on the sidelines following surgery on his hamstring.
Lyon suffered the injury on the final day of the Adelaide Test and immediately went under the knife.
Australia's next Test assignment after the Ashes isn't due until August, giving him plenty of time to recover.
"He had surgery a couple of days ago, so he'll have a lengthy layoff, I don't know exactly, but will be at least a few months," Cummins said.
"Bit of a long road ahead for him, but he's done it before so hopefully he'll be back.
"It was a big one, so surgery, and he has his crutches in the change room at the moment so we wish best ... it was a shame but he put a brave face after the Test."