SYDNEY: Asserting that "debates" in the dressing room should not be made public, India head coach Gautam Gambhir on Thursday revealed that he has had some "honest" conversations with his players, emphasising that the ongoing transition in the team will be comprehensive.
Gambhir also sidestepped queries about whether out-of-form skipper Rohit Sharma will retain his place in the final XI for the fifth and final Test against Australia, starting on Friday.
Amid reports of unrest in the dressing room, the head coach sought to dismiss such claims, declaring that they were "just reports, not truth".
"There were some honest words is all I can say. Honesty is extremely important if you want to go on and achieve some great things," Gambhir told the media on the eve of the match that India need to win to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and stay alive in the World Test Championship.
The straight-talking former opener refrained from taking names but acknowledged that a transition is underway, stressing that performance will be the sole criterion to remain in the side.
"Indian cricket will always be in safe hands as long as there are honest people in that dressing room. Honesty is the most important thing for any transition.
"And it's not phasing out senior players and bringing in new players. Ultimately, what will keep you in the dressing room is performance," Gambhir stated firmly.
Reading between the lines, it appeared that even Mohammed Shami's days as an international cricketer might be numbered. Shami failed to regain fitness for the current series despite being in rehabilitation for a while.
"Earlier, when transitions happened, it seemed one department was taking the team forward, but (in this case) transition will happen in both batting as well as bowling," he said.
The question of balancing natural game versus situational awareness arose, and Gambhir reiterated that the team's needs come first.
"Only one ideology matters and that's team first. It's a team sport, and you have got to play how the team needs you to play. You can play the natural game, but in team sport, individuals only contribute."
When Rishabh Pant's shot-selection in the Melbourne Test was specifically mentioned, Gambhir brushed it aside, saying, "I don't want to talk about individuals, they know where they stand."
The feisty Gambhir was in full form when an Australian reporter questioned why Rohit had not shown up for the interaction, as is the "tradition".
"Can you confirm the playing eleven?" Gambhir asked in response.
He remained non-committal when addressing questions about the final XI.
"Everything is fine with Rohit, and I don't think there is anything traditional here. The head coach is here, and that should be good enough," he said.
"We will decide on the playing XI after looking at the pitch," he added.
When the same question was repeated, Gambhir was more terse.
"The answer remains the same," he said.
Speaking about discussions with Rohit and Virat Kohli, whose dismissals outside the off-stump have continued to trouble the team, Gambhir clarified that the focus is solely on winning matches.
"There's only one conversation and that's how to win matches for India. We all know how important that is," he said.
However, Gambhir emphasised that he does not appreciate dressing room debates becoming public.
"Debates between coaches and players should be confined between them. This sport is known for results, but conversations between individuals should stay inside the dressing room," he asserted.
