BCCI and Indian Reporters Fire Back after Australian Media Criticizes Jadeja Press Conference as 'Disorganized and Hopeless'

Last month, controversy sparked when India arrived in Perth, as the Australian media criticized the Indian team for holding private training sessions at the WACA. Things escalated when Virat Kohli was caught on camera with his two children at the Melbourne airport, leaving him visibly upset. Adding to the drama, on Saturday, Jadeja conducted a press conference at the MCG, choosing to answer all questions in Hindi.

Channel 7, in their report on the incident, said that Jadeja "refused" to respond to questions from Australian media in English as they labelled the presser "disorganised and hopeless." The report further claimed that the India all-rounder, who had played a key role in bailing out the visitors from facing a follow-on in Brisbane in the third Test, wrapped up the press conference by telling the journalists that he had to get the bus.

However, contrary to the claims, Jadeja talked in Hindi only because the questions were asked in his native language by the Indian reporters. Moreover, the Indian mentioned nothing about the "bus." And lastly, the presser was only organised for the travelling Indian media.

On Sunday, Cricket Australia, as a gesture of goodwill, had organised a T20 match between Indian reporters and their Australian counterparts at Junction Oval in Melbourne. However, according to a report in The Age, the match was cancelled. The Indian team’s media manager was the first to pull out of the match, followed by other members of the travelling media contingent, thus making it impossible to host the game.