‘I don’t think much has changed’- Michael Clarke on how Indian teams have dealt with Australian media

Australian reporters are concerned that Indian players Ravindra Jadeja and Akash Deep have chosen to only respond to enquiries in Hindi when speaking to the media. In a series that has already had its share of previous scandals, it has generated a significant amount of criticism.

Aside from the aforementioned, Virat Kohli’s request to a member of the media at the Melbourne airport not to record his child was another noteworthy incident that fuelled the flames.

The Indian team’s strategy hasn’t altered much, according to former Australian captain Michael Clarke, who is not shocked by it.

In his remarks to the reporters, he cited Indian greats Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni as examples of people who have always been restrictive.

To be honest, I don’t think anything has changed. I’ve seen Indian teams visit this place, and for the entire Test series, their skipper, MS Dhoni, didn’t hold a single news conference. Therefore, when Sachin decided to work in the media, he felt extremely constrained. It’s probably been like way for a while. Therefore, I appreciate that they’re still posting someone.

Before leaving India, they seemed to have made it rather apparent what they would be like in Australia, in my opinion. They’ll stick to their plan and to themselves. During the initial press conference, Gambhir made that quite obvious. Therefore, I’m not sure why anyone is shocked, because for them, the focus is on what’s taking place on the pitch rather than off. Thus, I don’t believe that India would be overly bothered by the conversation surrounding it,” Clarke continued.

Regarding the game, with the score at 311-6 at the end of Day 1, the Australians are still in complete control, with captain Pat Cummins and star batsman Steven Smith remaining at the crease. As the majority of the Indian bowlers failed once more, Jasprit Bumrah gave the Indian squad some respite by finishing with statistics of 3/75.