Smith, meanwhile, will lead Australia for the third time since he was appointed Cummins’ deputy in late 2021, after he wore the blazer in each of the past two Adelaide Test matches against England and the West Indies.

During his first stint as national captain between 2014 and 2018, Smith led the Australian side that pushed India all the way to the final Test of a dramatic series in 2017, winning the first match in Pune and only losing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on the final day in Dharamshala.

Cameron Green and Mitchell Starc are in line to be recalled as the all-rounder and pace bowler in the side, affording room for the three spin bowlers Nathan Lyon, Todd Murphy and Matt Kuhnemann on what is expected to be another sharply spinning track. Lance Morris had remained in India as cover for Cummins.

For Green, the chance to watch the first two Tests while in the final stages of recovery from a finger fracture has allowed him to consider remodelling his game on sharply spinning pitches - depending on how much bounce there is.

While Green prospered against Sri Lanka on a spiteful surface in Galle last year by using the sweep shot at every opportunity, he reflected that the pitches in India so far have been lower bouncing and require a different approach.

This was rammed home by Australia’s horrendous collapse to surrender a strong position on the third morning of the Delhi Test match.

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“That’s the benefit of watching the first two games, you get a pretty good look at it from the sideline without having too many emotions of being in the game,” Green said.

“In Galle it was a really bouncing wicket, and over here it’s not bouncing as much, so that’s just another bit I’m trying to learn about my game, trying to read the conditions and what to do. You can work out what’s the best approach, and we’ll just have to wait and see what we get in Indore.”

Green’s finger fracture, initially thought to be more problematic for his bowling than his batting, ultimately ruled him out of the Delhi Test because he was still regaining confidence that he would not be in pain should the bat jar - as it did during one training session between the Tests.

Australia’s balance was significantly upset by Green’s absence - not only does he provide a front-rank bowling option, but his presence as a tall right-hander with plenty of reach would also have made life tougher for Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.

“When you come in as an all-rounder you might be able to help out with team balance a little bit,” Green said. “We’ve been in the subcontinent a lot in the last 12 months, so you want to put what you’ve learned into the game. A bit funny watching, but can’t wait to get out there.”

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