Australia captain Pat Cummins has flown home to attend to a ‘serious family illness’ but will return later this week in time to partake in the preparations for the third Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar series in Indore.
Although unlikely, in the event that Cummins has to miss a Test, his deputy Steve Smith will take over captaincy duties, as he had done in the last two Tests in Adelaide.
India retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for a record fourth-straight time with victory in the Delhi Test but Cummins, who has had a very limited role with the ball in two spin-dominated games, said his side still had everything to play for with a drawn series a big motivation. The 29-year-old will also be available to skipper the side in three-match ODI series to follow, a crucial series in the build up to this year’s World Cup.
Meanwhile, Cummins hinted about the possibility of changes to Australia’s squad and their XI for the Test in Indore. Cameron Green, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood are expected to be fit. But there remains a doubt about the participation of David Warner, who suffered a concussion as well as a hairline fracture in his left elbow.
Impressive off-spinner Todd Murphy too battled side soreness during the second innings in Delhi but is likely to have enough of a gap between Tests to shrug it off. Mitchell Swepson, the legspinner, is also expected to rejoin the squad after travelling home for the birth of his child.
