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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Power tariffs under BESCOM to rise from May 1
Bengaluru (PTI): Power bills for consumers under the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) will go up from May 1, following an order issued by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Friday.
The hike comes after KERC allowed the BESCOM to recover a revenue deficit of Rs 2,068 crore incurred in 2024-25, from the consumers.
As a result, for every unit of electricity consumed in 2024-25, the customers will be charged an additional 56 paise, it said.
"BESCOM shall calculate, for each of the active consumers of FY2024-25 the amount to be recovered based on their actual energy consumption during FY2024-25. Such amount shall be recovered during FY 2026-27 in equal monthly instalments, to be called as 'FY25 True up Charges', commencing from the first meter reading date falling on or after 1 May 2026 and concluding with the reading date ending on 30 April 2027," the order said.
"It is further ordered that BESCOM shall maintain a separate head of account, allocated for the purpose, to record the adjustment of the said amount to ensure full recovery of the deficit," it added.
Similarly Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) has also recorded a revenue deficit of Rs 121.71 crore and can collect an additional 15 paisa per unit for consumption in 2024-25, official sources said.
