Pacer Pat Cummins is set to miss the next Test after his mother was admitted into 'palliative care', he announced on Friday, February 24. He had initially flown back to Australia and was slated to return for the third Test in Indore, but the pacer has now decided to stay back to care for his ailing mother. In his absence, Steve Smith will be the skipper of the side.
One former Australian pacer has pleaded with Cummins to stay back and be with his family for the remainder of the series, given that there is no clarity on whether Cummins will make it back for the fourth Test in Ahmedabad.
Australia have no chance of winning this series, having lost the first two matches and trailing 2-0. And pacer Jason Gillespie believes that with the series a lost cause, Cummins can afford to stay home and tend to his mother and family.
"It wouldn't surprise me if we didn't see him on this tour [again]," Gillespie told Summer Grandstand, as ABC Online quoted on Saturday. If I were in charge, I'd probably say to him, 'stay at home'. With all due respect, the series is gone, and we can't win the series, and there are series coming up this year … moving forward, it might just be a really good opportunity for Pat Cummins to spend important time, precious time, with close family and friends.
"What's more important, spending time with your close family and friends and particularly your mum who's gravely ill, or the fourth Test of a series that you've already lost? He's already missing the third Test, for me it's an absolute no-brainer. It wouldn't surprise me if behind the scenes they've already said to Pat, we don't need you here in India for this Test series. Be a son. Be a brother, just be around your family. Family is the number one thing," Gillespie added.
Cummins has been ineffective in the first two Tests of the series and bagged just three wickets in four innings. Meanwhile, vice-captain Smith, who was the captain when Australia last toured India in 2017, has experience in captaining the side, having led the Baggy Greens in 34 matches between 2014 and 2018.
