India head coach Gautam Gambhir on Thursday (January 2) reacted to the reports of heated talks in the dressing room post the Melbourne Test defeat against Australia, saying that the conversations happen between individuals should stay between them and not come out in the public domain.
After India’s 184-run loss in the Boxing Day Test at MCG, a report published in The Indian Express claimed that Gambhir had some stern words for the players who were doing their own thing in the name of “natural game” rather than playing according to the situation.
“Debates between coach and player should remain in the dressing room. Stern words. They were just reports, not truth,” Gambhir said in the pre-match presser on the eve of the fifth and final Test in Sydney.
“Indian cricket will be in safe hands till honest people stay in the dressing room. The only thing that keeps you in the dressing room is performance," he added.
Batting stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have also come under the scanner owing to repeated failures, with calls for their retirement getting louder.
Gambhir mentioned that he had spoken with Rohit and Kohli only on the game. “Every individual knows what areas to work on. We have only had one conversation with them (and that is) how to win Test matches," the coach stated.
Gambhir also confirmed that pacer Akash Deep is ruled out of the series-decider, slated to get underway on January 3 at the iconic SCG, due to a stiff back.
The Bengal pacer had picked up five wickets in the first two Tests at the Gabba and MCG. He was somewhat unlucky not to claim more scalps as several catches were dropped off his bowling.
"Akash Deep is out with a back issue," Gambhir said. Either Harshit Rana or Prasidh Krishna is expected to replace Akash in the playing XI.
Trailing 1-2 in the series, the visitors are facing a must-win situation in the fifth and final Test to retain the coveted Border-Gavaskar trophy. Moreover, India need to win in Sydney to have any chances of making it to the World Test Champions final.
