Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Indian dressing room leaks shock ex-cricketers; Irfan Pathan says 'what happens in the dressing room, should...'

Ahead of the fifth and final Test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 between Australia and India, former cricketer Irfan Pathan shared his thoughts on media reports about a dressing room incident after India's loss at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). According to ANI, media reports suggested that after the Melbourne Test, Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir was unhappy with the team's performance and expressed his dissatisfaction. However, Pathan believes that what happens in the dressing room should remain private.


The Indian team has been facing struggles in Australia, especially in the batting department. Big names like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have not been performing as expected, and there has been growing speculation among fans about their future with the Indian team.

Rohit Sharma’s struggles

Earlier this week, former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar said in a video posted on ESPNcricinfo that Rohit Sharma had one last chance to prove himself in the final Test of the series. Manjrekar mentioned, “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.”

Backing Virat Kohli

Manjrekar also supported Virat Kohli, highlighting the many reasons to keep supporting him despite his recent challenges. “There's 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,” said Manjrekar.

Rohit Sharma’s meltdown at MCG

Rohit Sharma has been struggling for form, especially in the Melbourne Test. Despite doing the hard work on the fifth day, he could not score enough runs. He faced 40 deliveries and managed only 9 runs before getting out to Australian bowler Pat Cummins. His dismissal, an outside edge caught by Mitchell Marsh at gully, seemed to open the floodgates for India.

After Rohit's departure, the Indian team's collapse continued. KL Rahul joined the Indian skipper in the same over and was dismissed for a duck. Virat Kohli lost his focus and got out on the final ball before lunch, chasing a delivery from left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc.

Australia clinches victory

Australia went on to win the Melbourne Test by 184 runs, taking a 2-1 lead in the series and ending India's hopes of qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) Final at Lord's next year. India was set a challenging target of 340 runs, but they were all out for just 155 in the 80th over. With fiery spells from the Australian bowling attack, India’s batting collapsed, and they could not make the most of the full day of play.

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy now stands at 2-1 in Australia's favor, with the final match scheduled to take place at the Sydney Cricket Ground on January 3.

Inputs from ANI