Mumbai, November 11: India's head coach Gautam Gambhir on Monday put up a stout defence of under-pressure skipper Rohit Sharma and star batter Virat Kohli, saying they are still "incredibly hungry" to perform and will bounce back in Australia. Gambhir also dismissed theories that he is under pressure after India's 0-3 whitewash at home against New Zealand. Gautam Gambhir Slams Ricky Ponting Over Virat Kohli 'Preference' Remark as India Head Coach Attends Pre-Departure Press Conference in Mumbai Ahead of Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024–25.

"There are incredible people in the dressing room who have done a great job. I am not feeling the heat. It's an honour and privilege to coach the Indian team." Gambhir said during the pre-departure press conference.

When asked if he feels pressure like Duncan Fletcher's time when team was in transition, he replied: "I am not thinking about transition but the five Test matches. Transition or no transition, if that has to happen, will happen but I see some incredibly tough characters in that dressing room who are hungry to do well." IND vs SA 2nd T20I 2024: India Captain Suryakumar Yadav Lauds Varun Chakravarthy’s Magical Spell Against South Africa, Says ‘Getting Five-For While Defending 125 Is Incredible’.

The coach informed that Jasprit Bumrah, as the designated vice-captain, will lead the side if in the series-opening Perth Test if Rohit Sharma is unavailable for personal reasons. He also said the team has options in KL Rahul and Abhimanyu Easwaran for the opener's slot. The first Test starts in Perth on November 22.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)