Indian captain Ajinkya Rahane refuses to confirm his team will fly to Brisbane

Ajinkya Rahane has refused to confirm India will fly to Brisbane to finish the series, as Ravi Shastri marched into the SCG unmasked.

Indian coach Ravi Shastri walks past an SCG security guard without a mask

Indian captain Ajinkya Rahane has refused to confirm his side will fly to Brisbane to finish the series, as a defiant coach Ravi Shastri marched into the SCG unmasked.

Aussie skipper Tim Paine declared on Wednesday that tensions could explode in the Sydney Test after a week of leaks out of the Indian camp claiming they will refuse to commit to quarantine in Queensland and complaints they are being treated like “animals at the zoo.”

Paine said the sheer power held by the BCCI means a boycott of the Gabba cannot be ruled out.

His Indian counterpart did little to quell the noise in his pre-match address.

Rahane is adamant the final decision on what the team does after Sydney will be made by team management, despite the fact SCG curator Adam Lewis says he’s not working on a back-up second pitch should an emergency occur and India refuse to leave Sydney.

“We as players, we are just focusing on this Test match. The Indian team management, they will take the decisions,” said Rahane. “For us as players, it’s all about giving our best on the field.

“The Test match is starting tomorrow so we are just focusing on that

and we want to do well.”

Cricket Australia is still yet to hear any official complaint from the BCCI top brass over the schedule.

Rahane claimed regular Sydneysiders are living “completely normal” and admitted the quarantining protocols put on his team were starting to take their toll.

However, there is no difference between the quarantine conditions in Sydney and the ones players will be subjected to in Brisbane, making India’s complaints difficult to comprehend – particularly after they signed off on the schedule and protocols last Tuesday.

On Wednesday, every Indian player wore a mask as they entered the

ground from the team bus – except coach Shastri, who strode past security to the dressing rooms.

Five days after five Indian players were busted eating a restaurant in Melbourne indoors without masks, Rahane said the restrictions put on players have been tough.

“Being in the quarantine definitely brings its own challenges but as a team we’re just focusing on the game,” he said.

“We know that outside life in Sydney is completely normal, but the players we are in quarantine. That’s a challenge. But we have to face it.”

Paine is expecting some fireworks from a fed-up touring team.

“It’s been unusually tame the start of this series and I think it’s because both teams are just happy to be back playing Test cricket … but it’s boiling away,” said Paine.

“There’s some stuff starting to happen, a bit of chat starting to happen, so I think this Test is going to be fascinating not just from a cricket point of view, but I think there’s a bit of tension starting to boil under the surface with unnamed sources coming out from their

camp saying where they want to play the fourth Test and where they don’t want to go.

“I think it’s starting to grind a few people, so we’ll see how it goes.”

“I’d just say (there’s) a bit of uncertainty because when you hear

things like that coming — particularly from India, who we know hold a

lot of power in world cricket, it’s likely that it could happen.

“So for us we just want to be really clear on this Test match. We know

the protocols. We know what is expected of us. We’re going to focus on

that this week then whatever happens never week happens and we’ll

adapt to it. But we’re not too fussed.”

SCG curator Lewis said he is no longer expecting to have to prepare a second pitch for Sydney to host the fourth Test.

“No. I haven’t been asked by Cricket Australia to prepare anything,” said Lewis.

“I believe it’s still on to Brisbane and the Brisbane guys are looking forward to preparing for their Test.”