"He has done the absolute right thing by staying back in Sydney with his ailing mother" - Ravi Shastri on Pat Cummins

Former Team India coach Ravi Shastri has backed Australian captain Pat Cummins' decision to stay at home with his family and skip the third Test against India in Indore, starting on March 1st. Shastri reckons there are times when life is way more valuable than sport.

The 29-year-old fast bowler returned home after the Delhi Test due to a serious family illness, but was expected to return for the third match in Indore. However, it emerged that Cummins' mother was in palliative care, prompting him to stay back. The Australian skipper remains doubtful for the final Test of the series.

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In his column for The Age, Shastri stated that the former number-one Test bowler has done the right thing to stay back and wished his mother to recover:

"I just want to start with saying that our thoughts and prayers are with Pat Cummins and his family. He has done the absolute right thing by staying back in Sydney with his ailing mother. We all wish her well. These are times when you realise there’s more to life than cricket. He’s got every right to go back home."

With the New South Wales bowler out of the third Test in Indore, Steve Smith will take charge. The right-arm speedster struggled for wickets in the first two Tests as he managed only a couple of wickets. His tactics and field placings as captain also came under fire in the fourth innings of the Delhi Test.

"He took the call to stay" - Ravi Shastri on Mohammed Siraj's decision to play in Australia despite his father's demise

Shastri also recalled Mohammed Siraj's plight during the 2020-21 tour of Australia and how the quarantine rules made the circumstances even more challenging. The former Indian all-rounder added:

"I remember the time Mohammad Siraj lost his father while we were just getting started with our Australia tour in 2020-21. That was a different world of course. Those were quarantine times, and we were in a bubble. It was very difficult to get back into the country if he had left."

"And he took the call to stay. Here with Pat, he can return for the fourth Test. But it gives a chance for the rest of the team to rally around him."

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Australia are 0-2 down in the four-match series and need a draw or a win in the third Test to seal their place in the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) final.