Former Indian spinner Pragyan Ojha has reacted to the bio-security breach controversy arisen by a section of Australian media around Indian cricketers including Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
Recently, five Indian players – Rohit Sharma, Prithvi Shaw, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, and Navdeep Saini had allegedly breached the bio-bubble, seen eating together and meeting with a fan at a restaurant in Melbourne while a few Australian newspapers claimed that Kohli and Hardik Pandya had also breached the protocols during the limited-overs series in Sydney.
Now, the reports suggested that Indian players are not willing to travel to Brisbane for the final Test due to strict regulations though there are no official words from the touring party.
Reacting to the off-field drama that grabbed the headlines after India’s massive 8-wicket win in the second Boxing Day Test against Australia in Melbourne, Ojha said the Australians are bad losers and are not able to get over the defeat, therefore they are doing such things to distract the tourists.
Slamming the Australia media, the former cricketer said the bio-security breach controversy a big gimmick by the hosts’ media to take the pressure off Australia and get under the skin of the Indians ahead of the third Test starting January 7 in Sydney.
Ojha told Sports Today: “Everybody knows Australians are bad losers. They are not able to take it (MCG defeat) despite five of our main players missing. The Indian team is doing so well. They never expected the Indian team to win. They thought they could win, they were taken by surprise.”
He further explained, “I feel it's a big gimmick to take the pressure off Australia and try to get under the skin of the Indians. They don't know we exactly know what they are trying to do. The Indian team is relaxed; they know what to do and focused on the last 2 Tests.
Rohit Sharma, he has had a 14-day hard quarantine, before that training at the NCA. I am very sure he is not a fool to come and just breach the protocols. Yes, at times, things look different. I am very sure, they know what the protocols are and they follow them.”
Ojha signed off by saying: “The bottom line is Australians are bad losers.”
(With India Today Inputs)
