India captain MS Dhoni has snubbed the media on preview day for the second successive Test of the four-match series against Australia.
Dhoni failed to appear for a media conference on the day before the first Test in Chennai, before scoring a match-winning double century and speaking about his dislike of reading the sports pages in his post-match conference.
Harbhajan Singh spoke at India’s media conference before the Chennai Test and fellow spinner Ravi Ashwin attended Friday’s pre-match media conference in Hyderabad.
Attempts to contact the Indian board (BCCI) were unsuccessful, although Indian journalists who attended Friday’s media conferences at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium said Dhoni had a long-established dislike of fronting the media.
“We are all sick of it but we can’t do much,” one Indian reporter told AAP.
It’s unlikely England would even consider not sending their captain to attend pre-match media conferences for the first two Ashes Tests next summer in Australia. Or that they would get away it.
It has yet to be determined whether Dhoni’s dual non-appearances have breached a pre-tour agreement with Cricket Australia.