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There are reports of tensions in the Indian dressing room with Gautam Gambhir asking players to toe his line or lose their spot.
Gautam Gambhir (left) is unhappy with the players not sticking to the plan. (AFP Photo)
All is not well in the Indian dressing room following the Melbourne Test defeat to Australia in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. According to a report, head coach Gautam Gambhir has given an ultimatum to the players that he won’t shy away from dropping them if they don’t toe his line.
As per The Indian Express, after Australia stormed to an 184-run win at the Melbourne Cricket Ground to take 2-1 lead, Gambhir, in the dressing room, said, “Bahut ho gaya (I’ve had enough)” in response to the performance of the tourists.
Without pointing fingers, Gambhir claimed the players haven’t been performing as per the situation and for the sake of their “natural game”, they are refusing to follow the plan.
Additionally, the former India opener also said he will now decide the style of play after having given them the freehand for the “past six months” and those who refuse to toe the line, will be let go of.
Gambhir seems to have changed his approach after the multiple batting collapses the team has endured since the home series against New Zealand earlier this year which India lost 0-3.
On the fifth day of the 4th Test against Australia that concluded on Monday, India were in a solid spot after the pair of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant dropped anchor to lead a recovery from a top-order failure. However, Pant went after part-timer Travis Head minutes after the third and final session got underway that resulted in him holing out to Mitchell Marsh at long-on.
Pant’s dismissal triggered another collapse from which there was no recovery and India were bowled out for 155.
Captain Rohit Sharma has been under scrutiny for some time now due to his poor form with the bat as has been the case with Virat Kohli who has been dismissed multiple times this series while chasing deliveries bowled outside the off-stump.
While Australia now cannot lose the series, India have a chance to retain the trophy should they manage to win the fifth and final Test scheduled to be held in Sydney from January 3.
