It has been revealed that Pat Cummins is unlikely to return for the fourth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar series in India.
The Australian Test captain returned home ahead of the third Test against India to be with his ill mother, who has entered palliative care.
Tributes have poured in from around the cricketing world to Cummins, who has the complete support and backing of both Cricket Australia and his teammates to remain at home for as long as he needs.
News Corp are reporting that he will remain at home for the fourth Test to be with his mother, meaning stand-in skipper Steve Smith will continue in the role, having led Australia to a victory on the crumbling Indore pitch.
The game, which was originally supposed to be played in Dharamsala, was moved due to the recently relaid ground not being ready for use by the time the Test started on March 1.
The pitch in Indore, which has since been rated as poor by the ICC, earnt the fill in ground three demerit points on the ICC's register, and will leave it staring down the barrel of a suspension from hosting Test cricket should it receive more demerit points from the game's governing body in the coming years.
Smith led the Australian side strongly though, and will now look to do the same again in Ahmedabad during the fourth Test, with the chance to tie the series still alive for the tourists.
The stadium, which is one of the largest in the world, will serve as India's last chance to secure their qualification for the World Test Championship final, to be played in England during June. It's a match Australia booked their spot in during the third Test of the Border Gavaskar series by beating India.
The fourth Test gets underway at 3pm (AEDT) on Thursday, with a three-match ODI series to follow before Australia return home.
