India coach Gautam Gambhir stressed ahead of the fifth and final Test against Australia that any conversations in the dressing room should stay there. This comes at a time when India trail the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2-1 after a 184-run defeat in the fourth contest at the MCG.
India enter the fifth Test with a serious objective of levelling the series and doing their part in qualifying for the World Test Championship final.
On Thursday, Gambhir said he has had some “honest” conversations with players as only performance can help them stay in the set-up.
Gambhir refuted any reports of issues within the team and declared that they were “just reports, not truth”.
“Everything is under control. If someone had said 40-45 days back that we will be in Sydney and be in a position to draw the series, it’s a good position to be in,” he said on the eve of the fifth Test.
“All individuals know which area to work in. I will not talk about individuals because ultimately you win or lose as a team. When you’re playing for the team, that individual is doing their best. And any debates between coach and players should remain between them. You only see the results and unfortunately or fortunately that is what is important in this sport,” Gambhir added.
“Indian cricket will be in safe hands till honest people stay in the dressing room. Only thing that keeps you in the dressing room is performance,” he added. “There were honest words and honesty is important,” he asserted while discussing transition.
Gambhir further clarified he did not have any discussion with senior batters Virat Kohli and skipper Rohit Sharma except for strategies on how to win the Test matches.
“Our only conversation (with Rohit, Kohli) is how we can win the next Test match and that is all because we know how important the upcoming Test is,” he said.
Both the senior members of the team are currently struggling for form and their place in the XI has become a point of debate. Skipper Rohit is likely to announce his retirement after the Test in Sydney, unless India qualify for the WTC Final.
Gambhir also confirmed that pacer Akash Deep will miss the New Year Test with a stiff back, though he didn’t name a replacement.
