Debates in dressing room should stay there; honest words have been said: Gautam Gambhir
Sydney (PTI): Asserting that "debates" in the dressing room should not come out in public domain, India head coach Gautam Gambhir on Thursday said he has had some "honest" conversations with his players as only performance can help them stay in the set-up.
Gambhir also side-stepped queries on whether out-of-form skipper Rohit Sharma will get a place in the final XI for the fifth and final Test against Australia starting on Friday. Amid speculation of unrest in the dressing room, the feisty head coach sought to douse the fire by declaring that they were "just reports, not truth".
"Debates between coach and player should remain in dressing room. Stern words. They were just reports not truth," Gambhir said in the pre-match press meet here. "Indian cricket will be in safe hands till honest people stay in the dressing room. Only thing that keeps you in the dressing room is performance," he added. "There were honest words and honesty is important," he asserted.
Gambhir refused to say whether Rohit will get a place in the team. The question thrown at him was why the captain had not come to address the match-eve press conference as is the norm and if he is there in the final XI. "Everything is fine with Rohit. The head coach is here and that should be enough. We will decide on the playing XI after looking at the pitch," Gambhir said.
The former opener also said his discussions with senior batter Virat Kohli and Rohit have only been about strategies to win the ongoing Test series. "Every individual knows what are the areas to work on. We have only had one conversation with them (and that is) how to win Test matches," he said.
Gambhir also confirmed that pacer Akash Deep will miss the New Year Test with a stiff back, though he refrained from naming a replacement for him. Although he refused to analyse individuals when asked about the questionable shot selection of players like Rishabh Pant in crunch situations, Gambhir did assert that the team's interest is paramount. "I don't want to talk about individuals. Team first ideology matters. People can play natural game but in team sport, individuals only contribute," he said.
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Engine issue forces SWISS Delhi flight to abort takeoff; six passengers injured
New Delhi (PTI): A Zurich-bound Swiss International Air Lines' flight carrying 232 passengers aborted take off at the Delhi airport early Sunday due to an engine issue, sources said.
Six passengers are undergoing medical evaluation, an airline spokesperson said without elaborating.
Smoke was observed from the port side of one of the landing gears of the A330 aircraft that was operating the flight LX147 to Zurich. The flight crew aborted the take off and full emergency response was initiated, the sources said.
In a detailed statement, an airline spokesperson said there were 228 passengers and four infants on board.
"Shortly after takeoff, just after 1:00 am. local time in India, an issue occurred with one of the engines. The crew rejected the takeoff and, following an assessment of the situation, decided as a precaution to evacuate the aircraft," the spokesperson said.
Six passengers were receiving medical attention, the spokesperson added.
"All passengers and crew evacuated the aircraft via the emergency slides.Six passengers are currently undergoing medical evaluation. For a small number of individuals who were unable to use the slides, stairs were provided," the spokesperson said.
According to the spokesperson, Swiss technical specialists will travel to Delhi to inspect the aircraft and initiate the next steps.
The airline is known as Swiss.
At the same time, the spokesperson said the airline was working intensively to find a swift and suitable onward travel solutions for all passengers.
