Tensions between the Indian cricket team, their travelling media contingent, and the Australian press reached a boiling point on Saturday following Ravindra Jadeja's Hindi-only press conference at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The fallout included the Indian corresoondents boycotting a friendly T20 match against their Australian counterparts at Melbourne's Junction Oval, which had been arranged by Cricket Australia as a goodwill gesture.
The friction started during India's arrival in Perth last month, when the Australian media criticised the visitors for holding private training sessions at the WACA.
Things escalated earlier this week when Virat Kohli expressed frustration over being filmed at Melbourne airport with his two children, without permission, by Channel 7.
On Saturday, the controversy shifted to Jadeja, who addressed the media entirely in Hindi. According to Channel 7, the all-rounder 'refused' to answer questions in English, calling the press conference 'disorganised and hopeless'.
The network also claimed that Jadeja abruptly ended the session, saying he needed to catch the team bus.
Contrary to these allegations, the press conference was specifically arranged for Indian journalists, who asked their questions in Hindi. Jadeja's responses aligned with the language of the queries. Furthermore, he reportedly made no mention of a bus.
The Indian team's media manager strongly refuted Channel 7's claims, pointing out that the session was organised exclusively for the Indian media contingent. However, tensions rose when Australian journalists confronted the BCCI official on-site.
Adding fuel to the fire, Channel 7 alleged that another media interaction featuring pacer Akash Deep on Sunday was unproductive, as the bowler only spoke Hindi and could not communicate effectively with the Australian reporters.
The fallout led to the cancellation of Sunday's scheduled friendly cricket match between Indian and Australian reporters. The Indian team's media manager was the first to withdraw, with other Indian journalists following suit, leaving the event unfeasible.
Former Australian cricketer Simon Katich weighed in on the escalating disputes, describing them as strategic 'mind games' by the Indian camp. Speaking to Channel 7, where he also serves as a commentator, Katich said, 'Obviously, there's been a few things unfolding in the last week or so that haven't gone down well at that camp. It's probably just the mind games being played, given the enormity of this series.'
With the series tied at 1-1 after the Brisbane Test ended in a draw, all eyes will be on how the Indian team manages both on-field performance and off-field controversies.
