Cummins was rested for the final ODI and will also miss the upcoming T20 series as part of his workload management.
Jasprit Bumrah was left frustrated after missing out on another chance to bowl on the "spiciest wicket of the series". However, India's premier pacer emphasized that sometimes it becomes imperative for a player to respect his body.
Head smashed a swashbuckling hundred to fetch Australia a first innings lead of 157 at his home ground the Adelaide Oval.
The fast bowler's beguiling mix of aggression, control and intellect may make him the most feared of the Australian pace trio with the Dukes ball in hand.
Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, is the other Indian giving Bumrah company in the top-10, having climbed a spot to be joint-ninth.
'How we play the game reflects who we are as people and for the most part, the Aussie team is a pretty relaxed bunch, we like a bit of a laugh, so let's see what happens in this series.'
India's Abhishek Sharma has surged to the second spot in the ICC Men's T20I Player Rankings for batters after a stunning 135-run innings in the fifth and final T20I against England.
Josh Hazlewood, who was recalled after recovering from a side injury that ruled him out of the second Test, did not start on the ground on day four at the Gabba on Tuesday and bowled only one over before chatting to a team physio during a drinks break.
The seeds of India's defeat were sown in Melbourne, where Bumrah had to bowl 53.2 overs -- 24.4 in the second innings on the back of 28.4 in the first innings. With just three days to recover, that was an inhuman burden on a bowler who had bowled 151 overs in this series.
Ishan Kishan made a dream start at his new IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad with a match-winning century against Rajasthan Royals.
India might move away from having three different captains for three formats. Instead, the selectors are leaning towards a structure similar to Australia's, where Pat Cummins leads the Test and ODI teams while being supported by a strong vice-captain.
The IPL 2021 was being held at four venues during the league stage before the tournament was postponed.
Selectors have recalled pace stalwart Hazlewood for the second ODI after he missed the MCG match to play Sheffield Shield cricket.
"One stat stands out: 375,000 people coming through the gates in that Melbourne Test match, beating the record set 90 years ago of 350,000," Shastri said.
Clearly he didn't get the length of contract extension offer that he was after so it hasn't been ideal, but I don't subscribe to the fact that it was individuals that were key to making the decision, said selection chief, George Bailey.
After being bundled out for 150 in their first innings, India staged a sensational fightback to humble Australia by 295 runs in the first Test in Perth on Monday
Steve Smith became the 15th member of Test cricket's 10,000-run club as he and opener Usman Khawaja smashed hundreds to help Australia rack up 330/2 on the opening day of the first Test against Sri Lanka.
They will, however, only be able to join their respective franchises after Australia play their lone T20 match against Pakistan on April 5.
Both teams have struggled in the ODI format recently. World champions Australia lost to Sri Lanka (0-2) and Pakistan (1-2) in their last two series, while England, now coached by Brendon McCullum in all formats, haven't won an ODI series since their disastrous 2023 World Cup campaign.
'One odd day doesn't mean much to us and he (Pat Cummins) bowled really well in this game, said opener Shubman Gill, after helping KKR beat SRH by seven wickets and register their first win in IPL 2020.
Uncapped McSweeney to open with Khawaja in India series
Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey has backed Mitchell Starc to be ready for the decisive fifth and final Test of the series against India when it starts in Sydney on Friday despite doubts over the fast bowler's fitness.
'He is one of the best bowlers you can have right now in the team. I would want to learn from him a lot, not only about T20 cricket or white-ball cricket but also Test cricket.'
He added that it is amazing to watch Head, who wants to play at the peak of his powers and at the moment.
Cummins said his approach to leadership is quite similar to England's Eoin Morgan.
Pujara could get the selectors' nod if Ajit Agarkar and his team decide to fall back on his experience.
Images from Day 1 of the first Test between Australia and India in Perth, on Friday.
Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is on the cusp of making history after he went level with former spinner Bishan Singh Bedi for most wickets in an overseas Test series for India.
'Especially in the middle overs. That's going to be a key challenge.'
Their pre-tournament decision to fill the squad with five spinners drew a lot of flak from all corners, but it is now proving to be a masterstroke on the slow pitches in Dubai.
Pat Cummins exceeded expectations in his first Test match in more than five years and the speedster will pose a sweet selection headache for Australia, bowling coach David Saker said on Saturday.
'I was just doing my gloves when I got the little shoulder charge, but it happens in cricket.'
Images from Day 1 of the fourth Test between Australia and India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday.
He warned the players that failure to follow his game plans would result in them being dropped from the team.
Selectors will likely opt for another batter to cover for all-rounder Green in the India series and possibly an opener if Steve Smith is restored to the number four spot.
Fans can expect a wide open tournament in the absence of an overwhelming favourite in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy.
If the humiliation of India being able to declare their second innings on 487/6 reflected poorly on the bowling unit, it was the Australian batting line-up dismissed for 104 in their first innings that bore the brunt of the blame.
Steve Smith is not getting unduly bothered by people's opinion over his role in the 'sandpapergate' episode
Kolkata Knight Riders star pacer Pat Cummins says 'people in Australia would also like to help'.
Australia pace spearhead Pat Cummins on Friday said he is glad that the effort he put into his T20 bowling in the last four-five months is giving him the desired results in the ongoing World Cup, which has been his "main goal" for a while.
