Cummins and Hazlewood flies home out of India tour

• Pat Cummins has left the tour of India due to a family illness
• Hazlewood has been forced to withdraw due to injury.
• Starc and Green have been deemed fully fit for the third Test.

Due to a family ailment, Australia skipper Pat Cummins had to leave the tour of India on Monday. He will return in time for the third Test next week.

“Pat Cummins has flown home for personal reasons due to a serious family illness,” said a Cricket Australia statement.

“He will return to India later this week to rejoin preparations for the third Test in Indore. We ask media to respect his privacy.”

In the four-match series, India are unbeatable up 2-0 after Australia was defeated by six wickets in the second Test in Delhi on Sunday.

Josh Hazlewood, a pace bowler for Cricket Australia, was forced to withdraw from the rest of the tour due to a recurring Achilles tendon injury and would be returning home, the organisation said on Monday.

A spokeswoman refuted media claims from Australia that injured opener David Warner, who fractured his elbow and had a concussion in Delhi’s first innings, will return home right away.

“Just to be clear, David Warner is not leaving the tour at this stage,” the spokesman said.

“Any squad changes will be announced once medical staff and selectors finalise them.”

On Monday, Mitchell Starc and Cameron Green received better news from Australia coach Andrew McDonald.

Green, an all-arounder, was deemed fully fit for the third Test, and McDonald added that Starc was also expected to participate.

Both have been healing from severe finger injuries, and Green was almost ready for the Delhi Test until it was postponed.

McDonald stated that Starc had been available despite not being fully healthy, but Australia chose to bowl Matthew Kuhnemann, who was making his debut.

On March 1, the third Test in Indore will begin.

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