'Just reports, not truth' - Gautam Gambhir quashes reports on unrest within Indian team

India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir broke his silence over the recent controversy about alleged unrest within the Indian cricket team during the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Speaking at the presser ahead of the fifth and final Test in Sydney, Gambhir clarified the situation and mentioned team unity and the importance of keeping internal discussions confidential.

Reports of unrest surfaced after India’s disappointing defeat by 184 runs in the Boxing Day Test. Media outlets reported that Gambhir had presented a fiery post-match address, allegedly criticizing players for sticking to their natural game instead of adapting to the match’s demands. Further, it was speculated that there was unrest within the team.

The Indian Express had detailed these allegations, claiming Gambhir warned that players reluctant to position themselves with team strategies could face exclusion. This triggered speculation about friction between the coach, senior players, and team management. Speaking to the press, Gambhir dismissed these reports as baseless.

"Those are just reports. That's not the truth. I don't think I need to answer to any reports, to be honest. And there are some honest words. That's all I can say. Honesty is extremely important if you want to go on and achieve some great things," he said.

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Gambhir confirms Akash Deep's exclusion for Sydney Test

The coach also mentioned that it's a team sport and the conversations between players and coach should remain within the closed doors of the dressing room and shouldn't be leaked. 

"Team first. It's a team game, and everyone understands this. Debates between a player and a coach should stay between them. Any conversations in the dressing room should stay in the dressing room," he added.

Additionally, Gambhir confirmed that pacer Akash Deep will miss the next Test due to a stiff back. However, he refrained from naming a replacement, indicating that the final playing XI would be announced after assessing the pitch on the match day.

"The important thing is everything is fine with Rohit Sharma. And I don't think it's anything traditional. I think the head coach is there, that should be fine. That should be good enough. We could have look at the wicket and probably announce, playing 11 tomorrow. Yeah, Akash Deep is out, because he's got a back issue," Gambhir said further.