Indian captain Ajinkya Rahane has played down speculation that his side is frustrated about the current quarantine conditions as reports of a final test boycott continue to swirl.
Ahead of the third Test match on Thursday, leaked reports from the Indian camp suggested that they were weighing up whether to boycott the fourth Test match if it was to be played in Brisbane.
It was suggested that the strict nature of the bubble was taking its toll on the squad, with five players forced to isolate after a breach on New Year's Day.
Whilst Rahane conceded that the bubble brought its challenges, he was adamant they were purely focused on Thursday's game.
"Being in quarantine has its own challenges,” he told media.
“We know that outside life in Sydney is completely normal, but the players we are in quarantine stuck in a hotel
“It's challenging, but we are just focusing on the game."
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When asked about the potential of boycotting the final Test match, Rahane did little to deny speculation as he conceded that the decision would remain in the hands of management.
“We as players, we are just focusing on this Test match. The Indian team management, they will make the decisions,” Rahane said.
“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.”
As the Indians weigh up their options, Australian captain Tim Paine admitted that the rumours about their commitment had heightened tensions between the two sides.
"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," Paine said on Thursday.
“I think it’s starting to grind a few people, so we’ll see how it goes.”
