Australia captain Pat Cummins had confirmed last week that he will not be returning India for the third Test against the hosts, starting from March 1 in Indore. Cummins, who had flown to Sydney after India's win in the second Test, had revealed that his mother, Maria, had entered palliative care. Since then, cricket fans have flooded social media with heartfelt posts for Cummins and his mother. On Saturday, England's Barmy Army posted a heartwarming video where a rendition of the song, ' Maria' from the movie, West Side Story was played in support of Cummins' mother Maria.

Cummins has now responded to the post shared by the Barmy Army, saying: "This is amazing @TheBarmyArmy, thankyou. Mum loved watching this and felt very touched."

Australia currently trail 0-2 in the four-match series against India, who have already retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

With Cummins out of the third Test, vice-captain Steve Smith is expected to lead the team in his absence.

Australia, however, could be bolstered by the possible returns of all-rounder Cameron Green and star pacer Mithchell Starc.

It will be the third time Smith has led the Test side since his reinstatement as vice-captain in 2021. Smith has filled in as skipper for two Tests that Cummins has missed, since being named captain of the Test side.

The 33-year-old was the captain when Australia last toured India in 2017. The visitors had lost the series 2-1.

Smith spent four days in Dubai with his wife Dani following the second Test before re-joining the Australia squad in Delhi on Thursday evening.