Conversations should stay within dressing room, warns Gautam Gambhir

India cricket team Head Coach Gautam Gambhir on Thursday lashed out at ‘player(s)’ who allowed the media get information about the discussions happening inside the dressing room.

It should be noted that Indian Express, a national daily newspaper in India, had reported that coach Gautam Gambhir scolded the Indian team members after the loss in the fourth Test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy in Melbourne. He is reported to have said, ‘Bahut Ho Gaya’ (Enough is Enough) and particularly lashed out at Rishabh Pant for throwing away his wicket.

“The debates that happen between a player a coach should stay between them only. Fortunately or unfortunately, this sport cares only for results but conversations happen between two individuals in the dressing room and that should stay within it,” said Gambhir to the media ahead of the fifth and final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground that begins on Friday. 

Gambhir, who attended the pre-match presser instead of the captain Rohit Sharma, the one expected to meet the media, confirmed that pace bowler Akash Deep won’t play the final Test as he is nursing a back injury but refused to give out the playing XI. Rohit’s absence let out speculations about him getting dropped for the final Test at Sydney.

“Rohit is fine, everything is fine. The Head Coach is here [speaking to you], it should be good enough. We are going to have a look at the wicket and then finalise the playing XI tomorrow.

“Akash Deep is out because he has a back issue, that is the only change [as of now].”

Gambhir admitted that transition is tough as India are witnessing it in both the departments – bowling and batting.

“It is exciting times in Indian cricket because I have always felt that when the transition has happened in the past, there was one department carrying the team forward. But at the moment if you see it, transition will happen in both the departments and it has already started.”

The 43-year-old iterated that players have to put the interest of the team ahead of their individual style.

“There is only one discussion, it is the team first ideology that matters... it is a team sport and you have to play the way team wants to play. People can play natural game, but if the team wants you to play in a certain way, you got to do it.”

Tags : Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma, Sydney, Fifth Test, India cricket team, Border Gavaskar Trophy