IND vs AUS: Steve Smith to lead Australian team in 4th Test as Pat Cummins likely to miss

Steve Smith is expected to continue leading the Australian cricket team in the series finale of the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2023. The four-match Test series is currently 2-1 in India’s favor ahead of the fourth Test at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Speaking at the pre-match press conference, ahead of the fourth Test, Australian head coach Andrew McDonald revealed captain Pat Cummins might not return for the remainder of the assignment, as he is expected to remain with his family.

Cummins traveled back to Australia after India’s victory by six wickets in the second Test that handed a 2-0 lead to India. While the team initially cited personal reasons behind their captain’s absence, Cricket Australia later revealed that Cummins’ mother is suffering from serious illness. This was followed by Smith being appointed as the Aussie skipper for the third Test, which Australia won by a whopping nine wickets.

"Obviously dealing with what he is dealing with at home"

"He is obviously dealing with what he is dealing with at home but he is still so invested in the group. Our thoughts are still with him and his family at this difficult time. We’re in constant contact with him daily, so at the moment he’s not here and the test match is a few days away, so we’ll discuss with Pat on a daily basis,” Andrew McDonald told reporters on Saturday

This comes days after Steve mentioned that his time as the captain is over and that is Cummins’ team now after leading Australia to a victory in the third Test. "My time is done. It's Pat's team now. I've obviously been able to stand in this week, obviously in tough circumstances with Patty going home. Our thoughts are still with him back home. But India is a part of the world I love captaining. It’s probably my favorite place in the world to captain,” Smith said.

Australia struggled massively in the opening two games in the batting department with a string of low totals in the opening two games. However, fortunes turned for the Rohit Sharma-led India in the third Test as they were dismissed on low totals in both innings. The Aussie batting lineup looked to be at its best during the Indore Test, as the team picked up their first victory of the series.