Transition or no transition, seniors in team are incredibly hungry: Gambhir
Mumbai (PTI): India's head coach Gautam Gambhir on Monday put up a stout defence of under-pressure skipper Rohit Sharma and star batter Virat Kohli, saying they are still "incredibly hungry" to perform and will bounce back in Australia.
Gambhir also dismissed theories that he is under pressure after India's 0-3 whitewash at home against New Zealand.
"There are incredible people in the dressing room who have done a great job," Gambhir said during the pre-departure press conference.
"I am not feeling the heat. It's an honour and privilege to coach the Indian team."
The first Test starts in Perth on November 22.
When asked if he feels pressure like Duncan Fletcher's time when team was in transition, he replied: "I am not thinking about transition but the five Test matches. Transition or no transition, if that has to happen, will happen but I see some incredibly tough characters in that dressing room who are hungry to do well."
The coach informed that Jasprit Bumrah, as the designated vice-captain, will lead the side if in the series-opening Perth Test if Rohit Sharma is unavailable for personal reasons.
He also said the team has options in KL Rahul and Abhimanyu Easwaran for the opener's slot.
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62-year-old man killed in wild elephant attack in Somwarpet; villagers demand action
Madikeri: A 62-year-old man was killed in a wild elephant attack in Sangayyapura village, under Ganaguru Gram Panchayat limits in Somwarpet taluk, triggering anger and concern among local residents.
The deceased has been identified as Ponnappa. According to officials, he was heading to his agricultural field for routine work when a wild elephant suddenly attacked him, killing him on the spot.
Following the incident, Assistant Conservator of Forests Gopal, Range Forest Officer Shailendra, Deputy Range Forest Officer Shravana Kumar, and forest staff including Eeranna, Venkatesh, Praveen Kumar, Ranjith and Vedamurthy visited the site. Officers from the Somwarpet Police Station, including the Circle Inspector, were also present. A case has been registered in connection with the elephant attack.
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Local residents expressed resentment over repeated wild elephant incidents in the area, stating that the situation had gone out of control. They urged forest authorities to take immediate and effective steps to prevent further loss of life.
As villagers protested and demanded concrete action, forest department officials assured them that measures such as installing a solar-powered fence would be taken up to reduce human-animal conflict in the region.
