"What happens in the dressing room, should stay in the dressing room": Irfan Pathan

Irfan Pathan (Pic: File Pic)

Ahead of the fifth and final Test match against Australia, Former Team India cricketer Irfan Pathan reacted to media reports of Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir's dressing room fuss after the side's loss at the MCG.

As per media reports, after the completion of the Melbourne Test match, Team India coach Gautam Gambhir was not happy with the performance of the players and he conveyed the same to them. Following the matter, former Team India all-rounder Irfan Pathan said that the dressing room talks should remain in the room itself.

"What happens in the dressing room, should stay in the dressing room!" Irfan Pathan wrote on X.

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Team India is struggling to find the right combination, especially in the batting lineup where Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are not able to find themselves among the runs. The fans on the social media platforms have started stating that the stalwarts should look at their future with the Indian side.

Earlier on Tuesday, In a video posted on ESPNcricinfo former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar said that Rohit has a last chance to prove himself in the Final Test of the series otherwise he should be dropped from the side.

"Rohit's problems are there for everyone to see. One has to just imagine whether there is any hope at all and if we can expect a final flourish in the last Test (SCG). It shouldn't be left to the individual. I really think that job is a selector's job. He has to only think of Indian cricket and see whether there is any sense in having Rohit Sharma for the next Test match," Manjrekar said in a video posted on ESPNcricinfo.

Further, the former right-hand batter backed Kohli and said that there are a lot of things to support the cricketer.

"There's is enough evidence for Kohli that you want to keep supporting him. He not only got runs but got out in a different fashion. It seemed like he was doing that in the first innings by leaving the ball outside the off. I have never seen someone with the kind of performance and impact Kohli had in Test cricket," Majrekar added.

Rohit Sharma has been struggling for form, and did all the hard work during the fifth day but eventually returned to the dressing room with nothing to show. Instead of going all guns blazing, Rohit adopted a defensive stance and mustered up nine runs after facing 40 deliveries. After effectively dealing with the pace threat, he decided to take on his counterpart Pat Cummins. His attempt to flick the ball away resulted in a thick outside edge, which carried to Mitchell Marsh at gully. With his head and shoulders slumped, Rohit returned to the dugout and left the floodgates open.

After Rohit's dismissal, everything fell apart for the Indian team. KL Rahul joined the Indian skipper in the same over for a five-ball duck. Virat Kohli lost his discipline and got lured into playing a drive on the ball by left-armer Mitchell Starc on the final ball before lunch. Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant offered stability and assurance by leading the charge against the Australian bowling attack.

Australia clinched a thrilling 184-run victory over India in the Melbourne Test and took a 2-1 lead in the series, also ending India's chances of qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) Final at Lord's early next year. Currently, Australia lead 2-1 over India in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Australia set a target of 340 runs to India at the start of Day 05 of the Melbourne Test. The visitors had the whole day but couldn't make it count. Fiery spells from the Aussie bowling attack bundled out India at 155 in the 80th over.

India will take on Australia in the final match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3.

(With ANI Inputs)