IND vs AUS: Steve Smith Likely To Remain Captain In 4th Test With Pat Cummins Still In Australia- Report

IND vs AUS: Pat Cummins, who had gone back home to be with his ailing mother, has still not returned.

Smith-led Australia beat India by 9 wickets within three days in the third Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Indore.

The ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy has been an exciting one so far. While India registered emphatic wins in each of their first two Test matches, Australia came back to beat the home team in the third Test match in Indore. The fact that the Aussies were able to produce the kind of comeback they did without the services of their regular captain Pat Cummins and experienced opener David Warner is largely because of an improved performance as a unit as well as the captaincy of Steve Smith. 

And now a Reuters report has claimed that Smith is likely to remain the captain for the fourth and the final Test match of this series in Border-Gavaskar Trophy. This is because Cummins, who had gone back home to be with his ailing mother, has still not returned. With the Test match starting on February 9, it is unlikely that he will be able to make it in time to play the Test match and with Smith already having done a good job in Indore, Australia wouldn't be too concerned with that.

I love captaining in India: Steve Smith

At the post match conference after the conclusion of the third Test match when the former full-time captain of the Australian team Smith was asked if still wanted to be the skipper of the team but he had categorically denied saying that he has already served his stint and this is now a Cummins' side.

"My time is done. It’s Pat’s team now," he said. "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," the 33-year-old added.

“But India is a part of the world I love captaining … it’s probably my favourite place in the world to captain,” he stated.