|| Desk Report ||

Indian coach Ravi Shastri has once again rubbished recent reports of differences between captain Virat Kohli and senior batsman Rohit Sharma.

Shastri said India India would not have performed the way they have if there was a rift between the two, neither would the pair have scored as freely as they have in recent series.

"Listen, I have been around the dressing room for the last five years. I have seen how the boys have played and how they have complimented the team and know their work ethics. I feel it is absolute nonsense (reports of a rift). I have been there with them and I know the way they play. If that was the case why would Rohit get five hundred in the World Cup? Why would Virat do what he is doing? How would they have partnerships together?

"In a side when you have 15 players there will always be times when there will be opinions that will be different. That is what is needed. I don't want everyone toeing the same line. You have got to have discussions and someone might then think of a fresh strategy, which has to be encouraged. So you have to give the guys the opportunity to express themselves and then decide what is best. Sometimes it might be the junior-most player in the team who may come up with a strategy which we hadn't even thought of and we need to bring that to the table. So these should not be seen as a conflict."