Steve Smith to lead Australia in final Test against India in Ahmedabad as Pat Cummins stays home

Pat Cummins has ruled himself out of the final Test against India, with Steve Smith set to continue as captain of Australia in Ahmedabad. Cummins has chosen to stay home with his ailing mother, Maria, who entered in palliative care.

The Aussie speedster returned home after the first two Tests, citing personal reasons, forcing Smith to take over for the third game in Indore. Smith did a commendable job as the tourists pulled one back in Indore, winning by nine wickets after two crushing defeats in Nagpur and Delhi.

While the pitch at Holkar Stadium in Indore came under the scanner due to its sharp turn, the Australians did better than the hosts with both bat and ball.

Nathan Lyon earned the Player of the Match award with 11 wickets in the game. Meanwhile, Usman Khawaja scored a priceless 60 in the first innings to give them a handy lead. Travis Head's unbeaten 49 in the second innings ensured that the tourists chased down the 76-run target with nine wickets to spare.

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"It's Pat's team now" - Steve Smith after third Test in Indore

Pat Cummins leads his team off the field. (Credits: Getty)

Despite earning widespread praise for his shrewd captaincy in Indore, Steve Smith brushed aside any notions of returning as a full-time skipper. However, he said he relishes captaining in India as something can happen every ball.

Speaking at a press conference, he said:

"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."

Smith added:

"But India is a part of the world I love captaining, it's probably my favourite place in the world to captain. Every ball is an event and therefore can dictate what happens after, which is something that I really love and you've got to be ahead of the game."

Steve Smith will be keen to lead Australia to a series-leveling win in the fourth match, starting on March 9 at the Narendra Modi Stadium.