Australia v India Test series: Pat Cummins flies home for personal reasons

Australian captain Pat Cummins will rush home from the Test series in India to deal with a private family matter.

Australia captain Pat Cummins will fly home briefly in between Test matches due to a family illness.

There is 10 days between the second Test and the third match and Cummins will fly home to Sydney for a couple of days before returning to lead his teammates into battle once again.

Australian players will be given a couple of days off training after their humbling defeat in Delhi, before getting back into their work in Indore.

Leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson, who returned home for the birth of his first child, will also return to camp before the third Test.

“Cummins has flown home for personal reasons due to a serious family illness,” a spokesman said. “He will return to India later this week to rejoin preparations for the third Test in Indore.

“We ask media to respect his privacy.”

India has already claimed the Border-Gavaskar trophy for the fourth consecutive time, but there is still plenty for Australia to play for in the remaining two Tests.

The Aussies need a draw or a win to secure place in the World Test Championship Final in June.

If Australia is swept 4-0 in the series, it must rely on New Zealand not letting Sri Lanka beat them 2-0 in their upcoming Test series on Kiwi soil.

Pat Cummins will fly home from India. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty

Shell-shocked Australian players are taking a pre-planned four-day break after letting the second Test slip on the third day at Delhi.

Some may not return.

Australian cricket is reeling after the side lost 8-28 to the brilliant Indian spinners when the chance was there to even the series.

There is speculation Ashton Agar, who was not chosen for the first two Tests and was then leapfrogged by Matthew Kuhnemann, who made his debut in Delhi, will leave.

He would be replaced by Swepson.

The optics of players leaving the tour aren’t great, but the successful 2004-05 team headed for all ports midway through that series, with acting captain Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Michael Clarke and Damien Martyn among those who left the country between the Test matches.

Steve Smith was seen by guests leaving the team hotel early in the morning with a large bag packed. A spokesperson said he did not know where the batsman was headed.

Ashton Agar may leave the Test squad. Picture: Indranil Mukherjee / AFP

Some members of the side have a bus trip planned to visit Agra, where they plan to visit the Taj Mahal.

Marnus Labuschagne and Warner have their families in town and other partners are expected to fly in.

Some of the Australian players are in the middle of one of the most hectic periods ever in the international calendar.

After a five-Test summer they were encouraged to participate in the Big Bash.

There are ODIs after the four Tests against India, the IPL, the Test Match Championship (if Australia qualifies) and five Ashes Tests in England between now and the return to Australia in August for some of the squad.

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