'That's big dog stuff': Opener reveals 'scary prospect' bowling 'beautifully' as Gabba twist floated

Pat Cummins is turning heads in the Australian camp as the mixed signals continue surrounding his availability for the Brisbane Test.

The Australian skipper was left out of an unchanged 14-man squad for the pink ball Ashes Test, but has flown to Queensland with the team and has not officially been ruled out.

They can technically still select him despite not naming him in the squad, though that scenario is naturally unlikely.

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The Sydney Morning Herald's Tom Decent reports Cummins is more likely to return for the Adelaide Test, given they want to see how he pulls up from bowling on successive days before clearing him.

Aussie opener Jake Weatherald has been impressed with the skipper's bowling in the nets, and isn't sure where things sit.

"No idea about Patty, that's big dog stuff, I'm well away from those team selection meetings," Weatherald told 2GB's Wide World of Sports.

"From what I'm seeing, he's bowling beautifully and it's a scary prospect to think that the team might strengthen up if he plays, but I'm sure a decision will be made.

"With the way we bowled last week, it shows how deep Australian bowling stocks are at the moment too.

"It might be an opportunity for him to rest longer. I don't know. I'm sure whatever they decide will be the right thing."

It was initially reported that Cummins would be named for the Brisbane Test, before Cricket Australia flipped their decision overnight and named the unchanged squad.

For Weatherald, it remains unclear who his partner will be opening the batting, with growing uncertainty around Usman Khawaja and the back spasms that derailed him in Perth.

Khawaja has pulled out of a golf tournament on the eve of the Test, after 18 holes of golf likely contributed to his back problems before Perth.

Whether Travis Head or Khawaja opens, Weatherald is just focused on what he can control.

"Whatever happens, happens it's up to the selectors to decide and whatever way they go, I'm sure they'll make a great decision," he said.

"For me it's just walking out there and facing the ball and not anything else."

Weatherald admits he is still feeling the nerves of opening the batting in the Ashes heading into Brisbane.

After a first innings duck, he settled nicely and helped build a partnership with Head in the second innings, making 23 off 34 balls.

"I don't think the nerves have settled down at all, it's obviously an Ashes series so the nerves, if anything, probably rise more," Weatherald said.

"You get a bit more nervous thinking about the what ifs and you're keen to put more of a stronger performance on than the last game.

"Obviously I want to make more runs and be a bit more of a contributor to the team and to wins. I don't think the nerves go away, they get more and more, probably.

"The heart certainly was pounding. It was a little bit of a debacle going in with who was going to open the batting as well.

"So we were figuring that out and what was going on as well, but it was a cool experience even if it was brief, it was still an experience that will make me a better cricketer in the long run to understand what I need to do to get ready to face those first few balls and how hard Test cricket is.

"To be successful you need to be ready to go straight away. A cool experience either way and I was pretty happy with how it played out in the end.

"You're aware as an opener you're going to fail more than you're going to succeed and I just wanted to contribute to the win and make some runs and chasing 200 on a wicket where no one had scored, it felt like a daunting task, but Head was seeing them like beach balls."

The day-night Test in Brisbane gets underway on Thursday, with the final XI likely to be confirmed on Wednesday.