STEVE SMITH left the Adelaide Oval less than an hour before the third Ashes Test match against England after being ruled out with illness.
The Australia batter, 36, acted as stand-in captain for the injured Pat Cummins in the first two matches, which the hosts won to take a 2-0 lead.
Smith was seen on the field as both teams warmed up on Tuesday night before walking off with with his tracksuit on and a bag over his back.
He could be seen looking uncomfortable when exiting the nets at the ground prior to the match and has been replaced in the team by Usman Khawaja.
Cummins confirmed at the toss that Khawaja would be batting at four rather than opening, where Travis Head has filled in since the second innings of the first Test at Brisbane.
Smith has over 10,500 Test runs to his name and an average of 55.97.
With 36 hundreds and 44 50s, the Australian No4 hit 61 in the second Test at Perth in the day-night game.
He has a staggering record against England with 12 Ashes tons, 3,500 runs, and 14 50s.
Smith previously skippered the team between 2015 and 2018 but was suspended from the game for 12 months following Australia’s ball-tampering scandal.
He returned to the side but has played under Tim Paine and now Cummins as captain.
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Australia won the toss in Adelaide and elected to bat knowing that anything but defeat over five days would see them retain the urn.
They are able to bring back Cummins into the side and have recalled Nathan Lyon.
Josh Inglis remains in the team to add further batting depth for Australia.
Speaking at the toss, Cummins admitted that Smith had not been 100 per cent fit leading into the Test.
