India coach Gautam Gambhir hit back at Australia's accusations that they had been intimidating Sam Konstas, suggesting that they were being 'soft'. (Highlights | Full Coverage | More Cricket News)
The India players had celebrated Usman Khawaja's wicket pointedly in Konstas' direction after the latter's confrontation with Jasprit Bumrah on day one of the fifth Test.
Australia ultimately won the fifth Test inside three da𒅌ys to claim a 3-1 series win, though Australia coach Andrew McDonald had called out𝄹 the tourists' behaviour towards 19-year-old Konstas.
"Look, it's a tough sport played by tough men, you can't be thaﷺt soft," said Gambhir fo🎶llowing India's six-wicket defeat at the SCG. "That's as simple as it can get. I don't think there was anything intimidating about it.
"He [Konstas] had no right to be talking to Jasprit Bumrah when Us✃man Khawaja was ꧑taking time. He had no right and no business to be involved with Jasprit Bumrah. That was a job for the umpire and for the guy who is batting at the [other] end."
Konstas had also been involved in a coming together with Virat Kohli at the MCG in the fourth Test and had clearly got under the skin of his opposition𒐪, ♉both with his batting performance and otherwise.
"First of all, obviously ICC set the rules and set the pu𒆙nishments," sai♊d Australia captain Pat Cummins.
"We saw that in Melbourne with Virat, [getting] 20% [fine], that's what they thought. So, obviously that's the standard that they're happy with. In regards to Sam, I've been really impressed with how he's gone about it. I think people mistake a bit of confidence with bullying or abu🐲se.
"You're allowed to walk around with your sho🧔ulders puffed back and play a few cricket shots. I don't think that's ill▨egal, but some people really take offence to that and want to kind of put him back in his place."
Elsewhere, India bowler Jasprit Bumrah was disappointed that injury meant he was unable to bowl on what he 🅰called the "spiciest wicket of the series" at the SCG in the fifth Test.
Having undergone scans for back spasms that flared up during play on Saturday, Bumrah did notꦐ play any of the remainder of the🧜 Test, although was named Player of the Series with 32 wickets across nine innings at 13.06.
ꦉ"It's a little frustrating, but sometimes you've got to respect your body, you can't fight your body," said Bumrah after the game.
"I🧸t's a little disappointing in the end because I probably missed out on the spiciest wicket of the series, but that's the way it is. Sometimes, you have to accept it and move forward."
In his absence, Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj stepped in to take out Australia's lower order in the first innings, while they picked up another four i𝓀n the second innings but were unable to force a victory.
"The chat was about 🧔belief, the other bowlers stepped up in the first in📖nings," said Bumrah when asked about their plans.
"With one bowler short, the others had to take extra responsibility. This morning, the chat was about having belief, and that we are good enough and if we create enou𒅌gh pressure, we will be able to do some damage."
