Miffed with reports that its senior players were contemplating retirement after failing in the Test series loss to Australia, the Indian team management on Saturday rejected the speculation as ‘baseless’ and refused to answer queries on the matter.
India were whitewashed 0-4 in the Test series that concluded on Saturday and the senior batting trio of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman were heavily criticised for their poor show.
Their flopshow, in fact, led to speculation that the three could bow out after the series. But the team management rubbished the rumours.
"The team management categorically denies this. Reports about senior players retiring are baseless," said team manager G. S. Walia in the post-match press conference on Saturday.
Walia refused to answer questions on the matter, saying that there was simply no truth in the reports.
India's stand-in skipper Virender Sehwag, who addressed the media after the match, also rejected reports of senior players' retirement.
"Some reports have said that senior players will retire after this series. No such thing has happened and this is a decision that they will take," said the dashing opener, who is himself under immense pressure after an unimpressive show in the series.
"These are rumours created by the media," he added.
Earlier there were reports that the 39-year-old Dravid, one of the game's greatest batsmen, had told some of his teammates that he had decided to hang his boots.