Pat Cummins will miss the third Test against India, having returned to Australia to attend to his ill mother.
“I have decided against returning to India at this time as my mother is ill and in palliative care. I feel I am best being here with my family. I appreciate the overwhelming support I have received from Cricket Australia and my teammates. Thanks for your understanding,” said a statement from Cummins.
Steve Smith has been appointed captain for the Indore Test.
In the past, Smith had filled in as captain for the team when Cummins was unavailable due to injury in December 2022 against the West Indies, and in the 2021 Ashes Test when there were concerns about Covid. Despite the fact that Cricket Australia has not yet named a replacement for Cummins for this Test, Mitchell Starc or Scott Boland are likely to fill the void.
