India vs Australia: Michael Clarke Brings MS Dhoni into the Spotlight Amid Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja’s Clash with Australian Media

Former Australian captain Michael Clarke addressed the ongoing tensions between the Indian cricket team and the Australian media during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. Clarke highlighted that the issue was not new, citing past instances where Indian captains, such as MS Dhoni, avoided media interactions.

He recalled Dhoni’s complete absence from press conferences during a previous Test series in Australia and mentioned Sachin Tendulkar’s selective media engagements. Clarke pointed out that India’s approach to handling the media in Australia had been consistent, with players like Gautam Gambhir setting expectations early on. He said:

I don’t think much has changed, to be honest. I’ve experienced Indian teams coming here, and their captain, MS Dhoni, didn’t do one press conference during the entire Test series. So, Sachin was very restrictive around when he chose to do media. I think it’s been the same for a long time. So, I like the fact they’re still putting someone up. I think they made it pretty clear before they left India what they were going to be like when they arrived in Australia. They’re going to stick to themselves, stick to their plan. Gambhir made that very clear in the first press conference.

Referring to the recent controversy involving Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja, he suggested that the Indian team had already made it clear that they would focus on their performance and stick to their plan. Clarke concluded that India would likely not be bothered by the media discussions, as their focus remained on the on-field action.