Gautam Gambhir Press Conference Highlights: Gambhir hopeful of Rohit's 'availability', no confirmation given yet

Gautam Gambhir Press Conference LIVE: Speaking about the challenges in the upcoming Test series, Gambhir said, "Challenge is the conditions. Different in India and Australia. Be it support staff or players. If we can get good preparation, nothing like it. We’ve been to Australia many times, so that experience will be crucial. Ready to fire from ball one."

Gautam Gambhir Press Conference LIVE: After India's whitewash by New Zealand, Gambhir has fallen victim to criticism and trolls on social media. On being asked about it, Gambhir said, "What difference does social media make? I am not in the heat; there are tough players in dressing room. Absolute honour to be coaching them."

Gautam Gambhir Press Conference LIVE: Harshit Rana has been included in India's squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Regarding Rana, he said, "He’s had enough bowling. Important for fast bowler to be fresh. 5 Test series so trainers and physios thought he is better off."

Gautam Gambhir Press Conference LIVE: "Not looking at WTC. Every series important irrespective of what's happened in past. Keen to go and perform well. Easwaran, KL as Rohit's replacement. To play best XI closer to the 1st Test," said Gambhir when asked about India's WTC chances.

Gautam Gambhir Press Conference LIVE: "There is no confirmation. We'll let you know. Hopefully he’ll be available. Everything you’ll get to know by the start of the series ," Gambhir said.

Gautam Gambhir Press Conference LIVE: There he is! Gambhir enters the room and the camera focuses on him! He is alone! There is no Agarkar or Rohit! The questions start now!

Gautam Gambhir Press Conference LIVE: Will Rohit make an appearance in the press conference? He missed the first batch to leave for Australia. He will be part of the second batch which will leave later. The likes of Gill, Siraj, Sundar, Akash Deep and Jaiswal will arrive in Australia through transit in Singapore.

Gautam Gambhir Press Conference LIVE: The live broadcast of the press conference has begun! The camera focuses on the chair, but Gambhir is not there yet. Stay tuned folks! The India head coach will be getting grilled with some tough questions before leaving for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. There are 2 more chairs around him, which adds a new layer of intrigue to the event. Will there be taker for those too? Will it be Ajit Agarkar? Or Rohit Sharma maybe?

Gautam Gambhir Press Conference LIVE: After their devastating collapse vs New Zealand, Gambhir hopes his batters bounce back to form in Australia. The spotlight will be on Rohit and Kohli in particular, who underperformed against New Zealand. Kohli tallied just 93 runs from six innings, while Rohit was slightly worse with 91. For India to challenge Australia on their soil, let alone beat then, they need Kohli and Rohit to fire. It's been a really long time since both fired in tandem or both enjoyed a series to remember. The last one that comes to mind is the 2023 ODI World Cup. So you know: India's chances of winning skyrocket when these two get going.

Gautam Gambhir Press Conference LIVE: Ricky Ponting said 3-1 to Australia two months ago and sticks by it. Apart from him, no such definite scorelines have been predicted, but the air vibe is very Aussie-dominated. And one can understand why. India are just coming off a shocking result at home, and when it's Australia, they are equally tough to beat on their soil. But wait a minute, just yesterday, Pakistan beat Australia in the ODI series, which has thrown their cricket into a bit of turmoil itself. Neither team is in the best of touches and that's what promises to make this spectacle even more mouth-watering.

Gautam Gambhir Press Conference LIVE: Kuldeep Yadav has been down with a troubled groin, and it apparently reached a stage during the New Zealand series where he needed to fix it once and for all. Hence, India’s No. 1 wrist-spinner of the current era, Kuldeep, is headed to the NCA, where he will work closely with trainers to regain fitness and form. With India having one eye on the Champions Trophy – where Kuldeep would be a key asset – they would be hoping for a speedy recovery for their champions spinner. He has been a valuable cricketer for India since his return from a previous injury and India would want to see him back on the ground ASAP.

Gautam Gambhir Press Conference LIVE: Firstly, let this sink in, because we're sure it still hasn't. Never in our wild dreams did we think India's unbeaten home streak would come to an end. Even when it did, a belief existed that India would certainly pull one back. They have to. Hence, when New Zealand completed a 3-0 clean sweep, it surely hurt, pinched and stung. New Zealand, one of India's bogey teams in ICC tournament, did the unthinkable. Should Gambhir be blamed? Partly yes, because he is the coach. But partly also no, because this is not his team. Gambhir has taken forward a unit assembled by Ravi Shastri and then Rahul Dravid. Give the guy time, and results will come. However, India surely cannot afford another bad show in Australia and Gambhir would be mindful of it.

Gautam Gambhir Press Conference LIVE: Gautam Gambhir’s press conference begins at 9AM IST and takes place in Mumbai's ITC Maratha. In case you're wondering if there's a way to attend, then only those with BCCI's media accreditation are allowed to enter. Bummer, right? The team is expected to leave for Australia any time tomorrow after the pre-departure PC, with most of the players having already assembled in Mumbai. As of now, the official word is that the press conference will be attended by the head coach itself, contrary to the usual practice of a coach and captain sitting side by side and taking on the questions. All the more reason to believe that Rohit is missing the first Test.

Gautam Gambhir Press Conference LIVE: Mohammed Shami's injury is turning out to be more serious than earlier imagined. As per his original recovery plan, Shami would have played the New Zealand Tests and be on his way to Australia. But instead, he has been pulled out of Bengal’s Ranji Trophy matches as well. Apparently, a new injury has surfaced despite Shami's previous claims that he is absolutely fine and on the way to recovery. Hence, expect Gambhir to provide some clarity on the matter. Nonetheless, Shami's absence could prove to be a big jolt to India's chances. He was ruled out after the first Test due to a broken hand and will miss out on arguably his last Test tour of Australia.

Gautam Gambhir Press Conference LIVE: Another report that floated around was that India tried to move on from rank-turners, with Rahul Dravid making a conscious effort towards it. The reason why the India-England Tests stretched to four days was primarily because of Dravid's idea of pitches in India, but as per a PTI report, Gambhir went back and insisted on having spinner-friendly surfaces for the New Zealand series. If true, this has to be a major flaw in Gambhir's plan. It's no secret that Indian batters are no longer the best players of spin. Still, it’s early days for Gambhir, and he can be cut off some slack.

Gautam Gambhir Press Conference LIVE: Perhaps! It's no secret that Gambhir was a last-minute option for the BCCI, after several renowned names rejected the role. As per reports, Stephen Fleming was approached; Ricky Ponting openly admitted that the board was in talks with him. Perhaps what took BCCI by surprise was VVS Laxman's reluctance to take up the role. And who can blame him? Being the coach of the Indian cricket team is no easy task. The toughest bit is to be on the road the whole time. With options running out, the fact that under Gambhir's mentorship, KKR won the IPL earlier this year switched a light in the BCCI's minds. And BOOM! Here was India's next head coach.

Gautam Gambhir Press Conference LIVE: So here’s the deal. India are not out of the race for a place in the final of the third World Test Championship final but they aren't in the best of space either. For India to qualify for a third straight WTC final, they need to beat Australia at least 4-0 without having to bank on other teams. Of course, if things from around the globe work in their favour, they may escape, but of not, India would need to do what they did back in 2013, when under MS Dhoni, they whitewashed Australia 4-0 at home. Anything less and India could be kissing their WTC final chances goodbye.

Gautam Gambhir Press Conference LIVE: We hate to break it to his fans, but the answer is NO. There is a reason why Kohli quit captaincy when he did, and ever since, both him and Indian cricket have come a long way. India have won a World Cup, and Kohli has pretty much switched into that senior player mode. As for who captains in the absence of Rohit, it’s a no-brainer. Jasprit Bumrah, the vice-captain will take over. No one else. Bumrah has captained India a fair bit – in the rescheduled fifth Test against England in 2022 and last year against Ireland. As for whether he will be able to recreate the magic Ajinkya Rahane did the last time round, only time will tell.

Gautam Gambhir Press Conference LIVE: Unlikely, but it's not a certainty either. Remember, that the second Test starts after a gap following the first. After Perth, India straightaway play the Adelaide Test from December 6, making it a 10-day gap. In between India A take on Prime Ministers XI in a three-day practice game. While a 10-day gap would be enough for Rohit to be with his family and resume national duty, no one can put a stamp on it. A lot also depends on India's performance in the Perth Test. Pretty sure Rohit wouldn't want to miss any part of what could be the biggest Test series of his career, but as we mentioned earlier, nothing tops family.

Gautam Gambhir Press Conference LIVE: Fatherhood is a feeling next to none – all the dads reading this would agree. But there have been some memorable instances of Indian cricket captains becoming fathers during the middle of a tour. Who can forget 2015, when MS Dhoni decided to remain in Australia to play the World Cup, while Sakshi gave birth to Ziva. "We're in the middle of a World Cup. Everything else can wait". MS, you won our ultimate respect that day. Fast forward to five years later, fatherhood graced Kohli for the first time, as he flew back after the 1st India vs Australia Test in Adelaide during the 2020/21 tour. India reached the semifinal of the World Cup undefeated and won the BGT during their last tour. We wonder what the outcome is going to be this time.

Gautam Gambhir Press Conference LIVE: Well, spoiler alert, but Rohit isn't travelling with the team to Australia, which pretty much confirms his unavailability for the series opener in Perth. The fact that he isn't part of this PC itself is a giveaway. Rohit could be expecting a baby anytime, and it makes all the sense in the world to put cricket on the backseat for this. Nothing is more important than family and it's understandable. Will he or won't he? Well, you pretty much know the answer. Let's just wait for it to come out of the next best reliable source after the horse's mouth.

Gautam Gambhir Press Conference LIVE: Oh yeah, it's what everyone has been waiting for, right? Gambhir, in front of the media, expected to answer some of the burning questions in Indian cricket. In all his appearances thus far, Gambhir has remained awfully quiet by his demeanour – not literally. The Gambhir that speaks as coach is not the Gambhir that used to sit in the broadcaster's room. There's truckloads of difference between the two. However, if there's an opportune moment for him to break the shackles, it's now. The questions fired at him aren't going to be soft, and he shouldn't be either. It's going to be good.

Gautam Gambhir Press Conference LIVE: Hi y'all. Worried about Monday blues? Don't be. We and Team India's head coach Gautam Gambhir are here to provide you a rollicking start to the day and this week. Most of you might be travelling at his point in time, and if you're on some public transport, watch out for this space if you want to remain entertained. Team India head coach Gambhir is set to address the media ahead of the Indian team's departure to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Expect this to be a proper curtain raiser even before the real action begins on the ground on November 22.