Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir has dismissed recent reports about dressing room leaks as baseless rumours, saying that they do not reflect the truth.
Addressing the media on Thursday, Gambhir clarified that the alleged incidents, which surfaced online following the Melbourne Test, were exaggerated and did not warrant a response.
Media speculation suggested that Gambhir was unhappy with the players’ performance during the fourth Test against Australia and conveyed his disappointment to the team. India has been struggling in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, particularly in the batting department. Star players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have failed to live up to their reputations, prompting fans to call for both players to reevaluate their roles in the team.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of the Sydney Test, Gambhir highlighted the value of honesty in fostering team growth. “Those are just reports; they are not the truth, and I don’t feel the need to address them,” Gambhir said. “There were some honest words exchanged in the dressing room. Honesty is crucial if we want to achieve something great as a team,” he added.
Australia’s commanding 184-run victory in the Melbourne Test gave them a 2-1 lead in the series and ended India’s hopes of qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) Final at Lord’s next year. The final match of the series will take place at the Sydney Cricket Ground, starting January 3, with India aiming to level the series.
The India squad for the Sydney Test is as follows:
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (captain), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Sarfaraz Khan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, Shubman Gill, Devdutt Padikkal, Tanush Kotian, Dhruv Jurel, and Harshit Rana.