Australia's stand-in captain Steve Smith remains in the dark over which pitch will be used in Ahmedabad in the fourth Test against India starting on Thursday.

Ahmedabad's massive Narendra Modi Stadium will host the finale of the Border Gavaskar Trophy, but two pitches were being prepared and under covers when Smith and the Australian team trained at the venue on Tuesday.

Smith conceded he left the venue less than 48 hours out from the first ball of the Test uncertain which pitch they would be playing on, having been given no clarity by the curator.

"The short answer is no," Smith replied when asked he knew which pitch was going to be used in the fourth Test. "There's two prepared."

Smith added that situation, given the short turnaround prior to the game, was something he had never encountered before in his career.

"[There] might have been a couple of [pitches] prepared maybe a bit longer out than two days but I can't remember two days," he said.

It is the latest in a series full of controversies surrounding pitches used, with all three Tests completed within three days so far. The series is on track to finish with the fewest balls bowled in a four-match series in Test history.

India coach Rahul Dravid had more clarity on which pitch was going to be used, although he said both being under covers was unusual.

"I don't know why two strips are covered," Dravid said. "I never asked him why he covered the other one. But I don't know what that was. We're playing on this one, I have no idea about the other one."

Australia can secure a series draw with victory in Ahmedabad after an impressive nine-wicket win in Indore in the third Test.

The tourists have come in for constant criticism after falling 2-0 down in the series, with Smith responding that some of that had been "mind-boggling" particularly around their bowling selections.

Australia have deployed three spinners in their past two Tests in the series where fast bowlers have played a minor role and been far less fruitful. The five leading wicket-takers in the series are all spinners, with 78 of the 93 wickets taken by bowlers coming via spin.

"It's been weird with a bit of the commentary back home, people talking about us playing three quicks and one spinner," Smith said.

"It's kind of mind-boggling to me when we look at these surfaces and we see what we've had, 11 innings in six days or something like that, and spinners have taken the bulk of the wickets and you see how difficult it is to play the spin.

"It's kind of odd to hear that kind of commentary, but we've had faith in what we're trying to do and it's good that we are able to show that we can play with three spinners and win. We weren't too far away in Delhi either, outside of that hour of madness.

"Nice to know our plans and everything we are trying to do can work."

Pat Cummins will not return to India before the fourth and final Test, meaning Steve Smith will again captain Australia in Ahmedabad.

Cummins headed back to Sydney after the second Test – a second defeat – to be with his mother, who is in palliative care with breast cancer.

Former skipper Smith led the Australia team in the absence of the regular captain and oversaw a dominant nine-wicket win in the third Test in Indore.

That victory secured Australia's place in the World Test Championship final, but they need another result in the final match of the series to earn a draw.

Smith will again deputise for Cummins, Australia confirmed on Monday.

Cummins, who is also the ODI captain, has been included in Australia's 50-over squad, with no decision yet made on his involvement in the white-ball series.

Fast bowler Jhye Richardson has withdrawn from that ODI series due to a hamstring injury with Nathan Ellis replacing him in the squad.

Australia are persisting with their three-pronged spin attack of their third Test against India, while the hosts made two changes in their side in Indore on Wednesday.

Trailing 2-0 in the series, and with captain Pat Cummins returning home for personal reasons, Australia welcomed back Mitchell Starc from a finger injury as the only full-time pacer bowler in the line-up.

Also coming into the visiting side is all-rounder Cameron Green, with the injured David Warner joining Cummins as the outs, leaving Travis Head and Usman Khawaja to open the batting. Matt Renshaw had replaced Warner mid-game in the second Test as a concussion sub.

Retaining their places are the spinning trio of Nathan Lyon, Todd Murphy and Matt Kuhnemann, while the addition of Green for Warner gives the Australians another weapon in their pace attack.

For India, K.L. Rahul was dropped and Mohammed Shami was rested, with opening batsman Shubman Gill and fast bowler Umesh Yadav taking their place. India won the toss and elected to bat.

Australia captain Pat Cummins will miss the third Test against India to remain with his family as his mother is seriously ill.

The paceman flew home this week and has decided to stay in Australia, revealing his mother is in palliative care.

Steve Smith will step in and skipper the tourists in a third Test that starts at Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore next Wednesday.

Cummins said: "I have decided against returning to India at this time as my mother is ill and in palliative care. I feel I am best being here with my family.

"I appreciate the overwhelming support I have received from Cricket Australia and my team-mates. Thanks for your understanding."

Australia are set to welcome back Mitchell Starc and Cameron Green as they strive to battle back from 2-0 down after the duo recovered from finger injuries.

Spinner Mitchell Swepson re-joined the squad after flying home before the second Test for the birth of his first child.

Josh Hazlewood, David Warner and Ashton Agar have all made early departures from the tour.

James Anderson has returned to the top of the ICC Men's Test Player Bowling Rankings, ending Pat Cummins' four-year spell atop the summit.

The England bowler, who first became the world number one in May 2016, tops the list for the sixth time in his career after seven wickets in the first Test with New Zealand.

Figures of 3-36 and 4-18 as the tourists recorded a 267-run victory in Mount Maunganui means Anderson dethrones Australia captain Cummins.

The 40-year-old was last at the summit in November 2018, and in returning there, becomes the oldest bowler to reach the top of the rankings since Clarrie Grimmett in 1936.

It marks the latest achievement for Anderson set during England's time in New Zealand, having also become the record holder for the highest Test wicket bowling partnership alongside Stuart Broad.

The pair dethroned Australia duo Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath for the pair of team-mates with the most Test wickets between them while playing together, with 1,009 to date.

Cummins meanwhile drops to third overall in the rankings, with India's Ravichandran Ashwin moving into second after taking six wickets during the latter's second Test victory against the former's side.

Elsewhere in the Test Player rankings, England trio Ollie Pope, Harry Brook and Ben Duckett have all moved up double-digits among batters after impressing in New Zealand.

There is no movement, however, amid the upper tier of the list, with Australia's Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith continuing to lock out the top two spots, ahead of Pakistan's Babar Azam.

Australia Test captain Pat Cummins will rush home from India for personal reasons but is expected to be available for the third Test starting on Wednesday March 1.

Cummins' side were beaten by six wickets inside three days by India in the second Test in Delhi on Sunday, ensuring the hosts retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

The skipper will travel back to Sydney for a few days for a family health issue, before linking back up with the squad in India.

Australia are due to face India in the third Test in Indore, having been moved from Dharamsala due to the condition of the ground.

Cummins has taken three wickets at 39.66 in the opening two Tests of the series, which has been dominated by spin bowlers.

If Cummins is unavailable for the third Test, vice-captain Steve Smith would lead the side, while fast bowlers Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Scott Boland or Lance Morris could come into contention. 

Cummins was the only pace bowler selected for the second Test, going in with spinners Nathan Lyon, Todd Murphy and debutant Matt Kuhnemann.

Rohit Sharma explained how India's bowling "masters" made sure not to panic before an Australia collapse gave them a comprehensive victory in the second Test.

Australia looked to have the edge at the start of day three, resuming on 61-1 after holding a one-run lead at the innings break.

India captain Rohit feared the hosts would struggle batting last on a difficult Delhi pitch, but instead it was Australia who bowed to the conditions.

The tourists were all out for 113 by lunch, with Ravindra Jadeja enjoying career-best bowling figures of 7-42.

Ravichandran Ashwin chipped in with three vital wickets, too, and Rohit credited the pair for turning the match in India's favour ahead of a routine chase.

"It is a fantastic result for us, looking at how things were yesterday," the skipper said. "How we came back and finished the job was a great effort from the bowlers.

"Even though the deficit was just one run, I felt we were very much behind – we had to bat last.

"On a pitch like that, you have to come out and try to do different things. We knew they were going to come and play shots. For us, it was about not panicking, and we had to hit those areas rather than panicking.

"I've seen them bowl enough and take wickets in these kind of conditions. We had discussed some things in the morning that we had to do, and that worked for us.

"Look, every game you play here there is some moisture, and what I noticed in three days is it has a lot to offer in the first session.

"Then the pitch gets slower and slower and there is not enough bite in the pitch – it's something we focused on.

"I had a good chat with the bowlers and they are masters of these conditions. It was important for us to stay calm and let the mistakes happen."

Jadeja and Ashwin had also crucially contributed with the bat in India's first innings, scoring 26 and 37 respectively.

Rohit added: "When you play Test cricket, there are a lot of [big] moments, but I thought the partnerships between Virat [Kohli] and Jadeja and Axar [Patel] and Ash [were big] – to get that hundred partnership [114 between Axar and Ashwin] was never going to be easy.

"Even then, we knew we had to bowl well and restrict them to as low as possible."

Australia captain Pat Cummins, whose side now trail 2-0 in the series, said: "I thought 260 was a decent score on the first-day wicket and the guys bounced back well.

"I think they batted well – one or two partnerships – and it was evenly matched at the innings break.

"[Australia's batting] was disappointing – the pressure was right on them, but we will have to review what we could have done differently.

"It's a similar story to Nagpur. Some of it is down to planning, and it wasn't easy when Ashwin and Jadeja were bowling.

"I think both defeats [hurt] – this one particularly when we were ahead of the game."

Australia are set to welcome back Travis Head for the second Test against India starting Friday, while also handing a debut to left-arm spinner Matt Kuhnemann.

Head, currently ranked as the fourth-best Test batsman in the world, was questionably dropped for the series opener in Nagpur despite an outstanding Australian summer.

He will come back into the side to replace Matt Renshaw after disappointing with two combined runs from his two innings in Nagpur.

Head will bat at number five, slotting in behind Steve Smith and in front of Peter Handscomb.

Meanwhile, fast bowler Scott Boland was replaced by Kuhnemann, leaving captain Pat Cummins as the only quick in the Australian team.

Kuhnemann brings a different aspect to the Australian spin attack as the only left-armer, earning his Test debut after four appearances in the One Day side.

India announced only one change to their team that ran away with a comfortable victory in the series opener, with Shreyas Iyer slotting in at number five in place of Suryakumar Yadav.

Australia XI: D Warner, U Khawaja, S Smith, M Labuschagne, T Head, P Handscomb, A Carey (wk), P Cummins (c), T Murphy, N Lyon, M Kuhnemann.

India XI: KL Rahul, R Sharma (c), C Pujara, V Kohli, S Iyer, S Bharat (wk), A Patel, R Ashwin, R Jadeja, M Shami, M Siraj.

Pat Cummins does not believe Australia opener David Warner's place at the top of the order is under threat for the second Test against India.

Warner failed twice as the tourists were hammered by an innings and 132 runs in the first match of the Border-Gavaskar series in Nagpur.

The 36-year-old had eased the pressure on himself by scoring a magnificent double century in the Boxing Day Test against South Africa at the MCG, and Australia captain Cummins has given his backing to the left-hander.

He said on the eve of the second Test at Arun Jaitley Stadium: "I'm not a selector. I don't think they've had a meeting but I'm sure Davey will be there.

"You saw at the Boxing Day Test when he puts pressure back on the opposition, he's pretty hard to bowl to. You don't get as many bad balls, so he knows that. I'm sure that'd be part of his plan.

"He has been batting really well here. Even in the lead-up, I thought he was fantastic. I know there's a lot of talk about spin bowling through the middle but with that new ball it's sometimes the hardest time to bat as well."

There remains uncertainty over whether paceman Mitchell Starc and all-rounder Cameron Green will be fit to take their place in the side in Delhi on Friday.

The duo have been out with finger injuries and Cummins says the tourists are mulling over their options, with Starc potentially overlooked in favour of a third spinner as Matthew Kuhnemann stands by to make his debut and Ashton Agar awaits his chance.

Asked about playing three spinners, Cummins said: "I think there's a conversation. We'll work that out by the end of today, I hope.

"[Starc] is one of the world's premier bowlers in these types of conditions. We'll see. The wicket looks like it might turn a little bit. I thought last week with two pacers, that attack functioned quite well, but I think whether it's Starcy, another spinner, Scott [Boland], variety in the attack does help."

Cummins said of Green: "Having a right-hander helps and him providing our fifth bowling option also helps. He's a big player. It certainly helps the team function well from batting and bowling.

"You have got to be able to perform as well. He's still coming back from that injury. He's only had [one] session where he's catching with a hard ball. He had a really good session yesterday. We will see how he pulls up."

Pat Cummins defended Australia's team selection and sees no reason to "reinvent the wheel" after they suffered a humiliating defeat in the first Test against India.

The tourists were hammered by an innings and 132 runs on day three at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, where they were bowled out for only 91 in their second innings.

That was their lowest Test total in India, spinner Ravichandran Ashwin doing the bulk of the damage in Nagpur on Saturday with figures of 5-37.

Eyebrows were raised when batter Travis Head was omitted from the side for the opening Test, with Peter Handscomb and Matt Renshaw preferred to a left-hander who is the number-four ranked Test batter in the world.

Renshaw and Handscomb failed to make their mark in the middle order, but Australia captain Cummins has no regrets over the team that was picked.

The fast bowler said: "We were confident it was our best 11 this week. We know the quality Trav is. He's a huge part of this team but we were confident in the 11 guys out there.

"He's been really good around the group. He's been out the back working really hard on his game like he always does."

Mitchell Starc is set to return for the second Test in Delhi after recovering from a finger injury, but doubts remain over fellow quick Josh Hazlewood (Achilles) and all-rounder Cameron Green (broken finger).

"Starcy lands today or tomorrow into Delhi," Cummins said. "I think Joshy might not quite be ready for Delhi. He's getting up and running now, he's pretty close, but I don't think he'll be quite ready for Delhi.

"Greeny's a bit of a wait-and-see. We're still hoping. He's had a couple of good hits out here. His bowling is pretty good, so over the next couple of days we'll assess it."

Australia remain on course to play in the World Test Championship final, with India potentially their opponents at The Oval in June, so Cummins is not reaching for the panic button after a crushing loss.

He said: "I think sometimes it's almost easier to put those kind of losses behind you. You are looking at small margins. You have to have a hard look at your game and the big strides you need to change to give yourself the best chance next week.

"We've had a really good run in the last 12 months. There hasn't been many losses in that changing room. I don't think we need to reinvent the wheel. It's just tweaking different approaches to how we play and maybe particular methods."

Meanwhile, India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja – the player of the match in Nagpur – has been fined 25 per cent of his match fee by the International Cricket Council and given one demerit point for applying soothing cream to his finger without permission from the umpires on day one.

Pat Cummins is backing his Australia team to rise to the challenge of playing India on a potentially troublesome Nagpur pitch in the first Test.

The surface has been the subject of much debate ahead of this week's opener at VCA Stadium.

Images of the pitch appear to show bare patches that could cause left-handed batsmen some concern against India's spin bowling.

For Australia, that represents an issue, with several of their key batters – including openers David Warner and Usman Khawaja, Travis Head and wicketkeeper-batsman Alex Carey – left-handed.

Captain Cummins, preparing to name his team ahead of Thursday's first day, acknowledged the turning pitch would be "a factor".

Right-hander Peter Handscomb would appear to be one man likely to benefit, while spin bowler Todd Murphy is set to debut.

But Cummins is also looking forward to seeing how Australia "problem-solve", with Warner, Khawaja, Head and Carey all in good form in a series win against South Africa last time out.

"I think it looks a little bit dry for the left-handers," he said.

"And knowing how much traffic will probably go through there from the right-arm bowlers [from over the wicket], there potentially might be a fair bit of rough out there. That's something you've just got to embrace.

"It's going to be fun. It's going to be challenging at times, but our batters relish the chance to problem-solve on their feet and I think quite a few of them will get that chance this week."

India have a right-hand dominant batting line-up, but captain Rohit Sharma was understandably keen not to focus on the state of the wicket.

"I just feel that you've got to focus on the cricket that's going to be played for the next five days and not worry too much about the pitch," he said.

"The last series that we played here, a lot was spoken about the pitches and all that.

"I think all 22 cricketers who are going to play are all quality cricketers, so not to worry too much about what the pitch is going to be like, how much is it turning, how much is it seaming and all those kind of things.

"You've got to just come out and play good cricket and win the game, as simple as that."

Happy hunting ground

This will be India's seventh men's Test at VCA Stadium, and they have won four of the previous six, losing just once.

It will be the second meeting between India and Australia at this venue, with the tourists beaten by 172 runs back in November 2008.

Australia's bogey team

Based on recent results, India may not need help from the pitch to beat Cummins' side. Australia have lost only one of their past 10 Tests, but that was against India in January 2021.

India have won six of their past eight Test series against Australia, including the past three in a row. They have lost only one of the last 15 Tests between the teams.

Steve Smith believes a series triumph in India would represent a bigger achievement for Australia than winning the Ashes.

Australia begin a four-match tour of India in Nagpur on Thursday, as they bid to win three successive men's Test series for the first time since doing so between November 2015 and February 2016.

The tourists are under no illusions as to the size of the task awaiting them in India, with their hosts only losing one of their last 15 Tests on home soil against Australia (W11 D3).

Having helped Australia to a crushing 4-0 series win over old rivals England in the last Ashes series in 2021-22, Smith believes a successful tour of India would beat that achievement.

"I think if we could win in India, that'd be bigger than an Ashes series," Smith told cricket.com.au.

"It's a difficult place to win a Test match, let alone a series, so if we were able to topple that mountain, it would be huge."

Team-mate David Warner echoed Smith's thoughts, saying: "Being a part of that last Ashes was fantastic, but to go to India and beat India is the toughest challenge in Test cricket for us.

"I'm really looking forward to the tour, it's always a hard graft and one thing I'm looking forward to is applying myself against the best spinners in the world."

While India have claimed victory in six of their last eight red-ball series against Australia, the tourists enter Thursday's first contest in excellent form, topping the world Test rankings and boasting a collective batting average of 46 since the start of 2022, the best of any team in that time.

Captain Pat Cummins also believes a series win in India would rank among the team's finest achievements, adding: "Winning a series in India is like an away Ashes series, but even more rare.

"I think that really is a career highlight, an era-defining series, if you can win one over there. So that's our opportunity and we can't wait.

Pat Cummins has called for improvements to the third umpire system after Australia saw several key wickets slip away in their third Test draw with South Africa.

The hosts were denied a clean sweep in the three-match series after they tied with the Proteas at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday, with a rain-affected match hampering their hopes of a win.

Australia had two catches overturned by third umpire Richard Kettleborough after the ball was judged to have touched the ground following numerous replays, while South Africa were also denied the wicket of Marnus Labuschagne on day one in the same manner.

Cummins was less than impressed with the process, though refused to blame Kettleborough and instead speculated over what could be done to help the third umpire.

"I don't really know the answers, but there has to be a way to try and improve it somehow," he said. "As it currently stands, it's really hard to give a batter out.

"If there's any kind of benefit of the doubt, it goes the batter's way. I think with a couple of camera angles really slowed down, it's pretty hard not to find doubt somewhere.

"I do feel for Ketts a little bit up there. Maybe there's more cameras we can use down the track. Surely there can be some small changes we can make."

Steve Smith, who was denied a catch for the second time in the game after Heinrich Klaasen was edged to him off Nathan Lyon, echoed his captain's sentiments.

"Yesterday, I was a bit more uncertain than today," he added. "I was pretty certain I got underneath the one today.

"I think those ones that are close to the turf always don't look great. But today I felt the slap on my fingers and I knew I was under the ball."

South Africa captain Dean Elgar was happy to see his team draw the third Test in Australia and vowed to "come out stronger" after his own struggles with the bat continued at the SCG.

The Proteas were aided by rain delays in the final Test of a series the hosts had already won, but still had to see out the final day as Sarel Erwee (42 not out) and Temba Bavuma (17 not out) frustrated Australia.

Pat Cummins' side dismissed South Africa for 255 in their first innings and enforced the follow-on as they chased the win, but a series of failed reviews and some determined batting from the tourists saw the match end in a draw.

Elgar was out for 10 in the second innings, lasting just 25 balls, which ended a series for him in which he managed just 56 runs in total at an average of 9.33, though he was just happy to leave Australia without his team facing a 3-0 whitewash.

"It's good to end the tour like this," he said. "Touring Australia is never easy, but obviously the message to the group last night was we have got to go out and fight on day five, and I think it's going to help us in the future. It's going to lead us down the right road.

"I know I'm the captain but I'm also a run-scorer and I know that hasn't worked out of late, but I know I'll be back. I don't go lying down. I know my character and I know I'll come out stronger."

Cummins cut a frustrated figure after being denied a third win, admitting "the wicket probably didn't play exactly as we would have thought" but was left optimistic after another strong series for his team.

Australia begin their tour India next month looking to win there for the first time since 2004, and Cummins believes they have a good chance of doing so.

"I think we've given ourselves the best chance," he said. "[It was] another fantastic summer… Other than this game in a shortened time frame we've been able to get 20 wickets each Test in different circumstances.

"I feel like we are adapting really well, having the experience of Pakistan and Sri Lanka last year has put us in really good stead knowing no one is going in blind. I think [we've got] as good a chance as we've ever [had]."

Australia were left frustrated as they ran out of time chasing victory in the rain-affected third Test against South Africa at the SCG, which ended as a draw on Sunday.

The hosts needed 14 wickets on the final day to secure victory and a clean sweep of the three-game Test series, but were denied despite bowling out the Proteas and enforcing the follow-on.

South Africa finished 106-2 in their second innings, having been bowled out for 255 shortly before tea. Australia needed nine wickets in the final session but eventually opted to shake hands with five overs left.

Pat Cummins' side were left frustrated after a series of unsuccessful reviews including several LBW appeals from Nathan Lyon which reverted to the umpires' call.

Steve Smith was also denied a crucial catch by the third umpire for the second time in the match, when Heinrich Klaasen edged to first slip off a frustrated Lyon in the second innings. Lyon bowled 40 first-innings overs, taking 2-88 before toiling away for 0-32 from 15 overs in the second innings.

South Africa will be content to have shown some final-day fight after a lopsided series with Sarel Erwee (42no) and Temba Bavuma (17no) unbeaten.

The tourists had resumed at 149-6 with Marco Jansen dismissed early, caught behind off Travis Head, but Simon Harmer (47) and Keshav Maharaj (53) teamed up for a gritty 85-run eighth-wicket partnership that halted Australia's push for victory.

Australia had their chances, most notably when Head dropped a caught-and-bowled chance from Maharaj, who lasted almost two hours alongside Harmer.

Maharaj eventually fell LBW to Josh Hazlewood, who also claimed the wicket of Harmer after Lyon had two reviews denied against him on 47. Hazlewood finished with 4-48 in the first innings on his return from a side strain.

After enforcing the follow-on, Cummins gave Australia hope when he had opposition skipper Dean Elgar caught behind by Alex Carey down leg side for 10, but the Proteas were stubborn enough to see out the draw.

Khawaja gets his reward

Usman Khawaja was denied a shot at a maiden Test double hundred, rooted on 195no, when Cummins declared on the fourth day pursing victory after day three was lost to rain but he was named Player of the Match.

Khawaja had a lean two Tests before his big knock, managing only 14 runs in his previous three innings against the Proteas. Coincidentally, David Warner was named Player of the Series after his double century at the MCG Test, yet he otherwise only scored 13 more runs in three other knocks.

Elgar struggles as skipper

Elgar endured a lean tour with his cheap dismissal down leg side in the second innings underlining his struggles since taking over as South Africa skipper in March 2021 from Quinton de Kock. The opener managed only 56 runs in six innings this series.