Cummins to skip India T20s to prepare for Ashes

Australia pacer Pat Cummins will skip the three-match Twenty20 series against India next month.

He will head home after the ongoing ODIs to prepare for the Ashes later this year.

Cummins will fly back to Australia after the fifth and final ODI of the series on October 1 in Nagpur, Cricket Australia said.

Australia currently trail India 0-2 in the series after losing in Chennai and Kolkata.

Cummins's replacement for the T20 series, scheduled from October 7 to 13, will be named later.

He will play in the Sheffield Shield season after returning home.

"Pat has played a considerable amount of cricket this year after a long period away from the game due to injury," national selector Trevor Hohns said.

"His body has handled the return to international cricket well, but we believe the best plan for him ahead of the Ashes Series is to return home to refresh, both mentally and physically," he added.

The 24-year-old has 23 Twenty20 International wickets to his credit from 18 matches. He has only played five Tests and 33 ODIs, grabbing 21 and 54 scalps respectively.

He went wicketless in Chennai for 40 runs off ten overs in the first ODI of the ongoing series against India, and finished with 1 for 34 off ten overs in the second at Eden Gardens.