Australia captain Pat Cummins won’t be part of the third Border-Gavaskar Test against India in Indore for family reasons. However, he will remain home in Sydney.
Cummins, who left India soon after the second Test defeat in Delhi, flew home to Sydney to be with his seriously ill mother. He was about to return to India on the weekend and join the team in Indore on Sunday prior to the third Test starting on Wednesday, but he has decided to stay at home with his family amid this situation.
“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,” Cummins said. “I appreciate the overwhelming support I have received from Cricket Australia and my team-mates. Thanks for your understanding.”
Meanwhile, Test vice-captain Steven Smith will lead the team in the absence of Pat Cummins in Indore. However, Smith did it for Cummins twice in Test matches since the pace bowler took over the captaincy as well.
“I have decided against returning to India at this time as my mother is ill and in palliative care” – Pat Cummins
However, Pat Cummins was named to lead Australia’s ODI team in the three-match series that will be played after the Test series but it remains to be seen whether he will return to India for the rest of the Tests as well.
On the other hand, speedster Mitchell Starc is expected to be fit for the Indore Test after having recovered from his finger injury after nearly playing in Delhi as well. Australia also have Scott Boland and Lance Morris as fast-bowling options in their squad.
However, Boland played the first Test in Nagpur along with Pat Cummins but didn’t play in Delhi when Australia played with three spinners. Morris, however, flew home to play some domestic cricket but he was kept in India as cover for Cummins as well.
Meanwhile, legspinner Mitchell Swepson is returning to the squad after flying home before the second Test for the birth of his first child. Moreover, Cameron Green has also declared himself a 100 percent match-fit after nearly playing in Delhi.
However, Josh Hazlewood, David Warner and Ashton Agar have also returned home for various reasons this week but Australia did not include any other players in the squad so far.
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