Steve Smith will lead the side in absence of Pat Cummins for the 3rd test match

The Visitors Australia has suffered another setback before the third match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Aussies skipper Pat Cummins has been ruled out of the third test match that will take place in Indore. The command of the team will be in the hands of 33-year-old Steve Smith. World number 2 batter, Smith is completely failing in this Border-Gavaskar Trophy so far. The right-handed batter has scored 71 runs in 2 matches at an average of 23.67.

After the Delhi Test, the gun bowler of the side Pat Cummins returned to Australia for family reasons. Cummins can return in the fourth Test. "I have decided against returning to India at this time," Cummins said in a statement adding his mother was "ill and in palliative care. Although earlier it was said that he would return before the third test, now it has been confirmed that he will not play the third test. 

Australia is currently lacking in Border-Gavaskar Trophy Talking about BGT, the Visitors are currently trailing 0-2. Their batting was completely failing in both the Test matches played so far. Now time will tell how much change in the team's approach will take place due to the change in the leadership of the team in the Indore Test, but, certainly, the Australia team is constantly beset by difficulties on this tour. Earlier David Warner and Josh Hazlewood have already been out of this series.

In the second Test, the Australian team played with 1 fast bowler and 3 spin bowlers, but now after Pat Cummins is also ruled out of the third Test, Left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc, also recovering from a finger injury, is likely to be added in the playing XI for 3rd test, filling the void created by Cummins' absence.

The Visitors need to avoid a 4-0 whitewash to make the final of the World Test League in June, while the Hosts India needs one more victory in the series to book their place.

AUS Squad: Pat Cummins (c), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Peter Handscomb, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Lance Morris, Todd Murphy, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith (VC), Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson