Sydney [Australia], January 2: India head coach Gautam Gambhir addressed concerns about players getting dismissed in similar ways during the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, stating that every player is aware of the areas they need to work on.
Gambhir emphasized that when representing the country, each player aims to give their best, and any discussions about improvement should remain private between players and coaches in the dressing room. “Every individual knows in which area they need to work. When you play for your country, you want to give your best. I think the debates between a player and a coach should remain between them — conversations should be restricted to the dressing room,” Gambhir said.
Regarding the playing XI for the upcoming Sydney Test, Gambhir confirmed that the final lineup would be announced after assessing the pitch conditions at the Sydney Cricket Ground. “Everything is fine with Rohit, and we will announce the playing XI tomorrow after seeing the pitch,” Gambhir added. He also reassured reporters about Rohit Sharma’s availability, clarifying that there were no concerns about the captain despite his absence from the press conference.
India is coming off an 184-run loss to Australia in the Melbourne Test, which put the hosts 2-1 ahead in the Border-Gavaskar series, also ending India’s hopes of qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
Throughout the series, Australian pacers have consistently challenged Virat Kohli with deliveries outside the off-stump, leading to his six dismissals following the same pattern. Additionally, Rishabh Pant faced criticism for his reckless shot selection in both innings of the Melbourne Test. In the first innings, Pant’s attempt at a cheeky shot led to his dismissal, and in the second, he was dismissed trying to attack Travis Head, which ultimately contributed to India’s collapse.
The final match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will take place at the Sydney Cricket Ground starting January 3.
India Squad: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (C), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (WK), 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, Harshit Rana.