The Ashes: Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, pictured bowling in clearest hint of their returns

In the clearest sign Pat Cummins is pushing for a Test comeback in Brisbane, the Australian captain charged in to bowl with a pink ball at Cricket NSW headquarters. And injured veteran Josh Hazlewood wasn’t far behind.

You wouldn’t buy a black tie if you weren’t going to a formal occasion and you certainly wouldn’t pick up a pink cricket ball unless you were a serious chance to play the next Test.

In the clearest sign yet that Pat Cummins is pushing hard for a Test comeback under lights in Brisbane, the Australian captain charged in to bowl with a pink ball at Cricket NSW headquarters on Tuesday.

Almost as encouraging was Josh Hazlewood making his comeback to bowling – with a red ball – after a mystery hamstring injury had put his Ashes summer under a cloud.

Hazlewood won’t play in Brisbane and might be a risk for the third Test in Adelaide as well, but Australia is adamant the champion quick will play a part in the rest of the series.

Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood bowl during a practice session at Cricket Central. Picture: Getty Images

But Cummins is the first priority, and in photos which will rattle an already shell shocked England, it’s clear Australia will be giving their spearhead and leader every chance to prove his fitness for a Gabba return.

“We’ll get more information tomorrow on what that looks like,” Australian coach, Andrew McDonald said on Monday.

“Once we see him, we’ll be able to then join the dots as to what that potentially looks like.

“ … But it will be a genuine discussion leading into this Test match, and that may be one that eventuates late for us.”

Australia has stated all along that Cummins would be fit for Brisbane, however, the prevailing feeling behind the scenes has been that it was more likely a more cautious approach would be taken and he would be saved for the third Test in Adelaide.

Pat Cummins bowled with a pink ball, as he eyes a Brisbane Ashes return. Picture: Getty Images

The logic being that waiting another Test would buy him another two weeks of bowling in what has been a rapid return from a serious lower back stress injury that if it weren’t an Ashes series – might have ruled him out of the summer.

Cummins himself described himself as being “half a chance” for Brisbane when he had a stint on Kayo Sports commentary during the Perth Test.

Australia will not play Cummins unless he is completely cleared as being 100 per cent by medical staff, and unless Cummins himself is convinced himself he is ready to play.

Cummins will ultimately have the final say.

Strategically at 1-0 up, Australia may feel with their brilliant record in pink ball Tests, they can get through Brisbane without the skipper.

However, there is no doubt that injecting Cummins into an attack already featuring an on-fire Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland could be devastating for England.

If Australia go in for the kill in Brisbane and go 2-0 up, it will be almost impossible for the visitors to fight back from that on Australian soil.

Australia has declined to put a timeline on Hazlewood’s return to play after he was ruled out of the first Test with a hamstring strain.

Originally published as The Ashes: Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, pictured bowling in clearest hint of their returns