Recently, numerous reports emerged that Team India was reluctant to fly to Brisbane for the fourth test match subjected to stringent COVID-19 protocols. The state of Queensland had mandated quarantine for players where they couldn't step out of their rooms. Meanwhile, PTI reported that the BCCI has managed to negotiate with the authorities and received permission so that the Indian contingent can interact within the bio-bubble.

During a virtual media conference, Australia captain Tim Paine talked about latest developments with respect to the rumours surrounding India's unwillingness to play the fourth Test match.

"I think it's boiling away, some stuff is starting to happen. It will be fascinating not just from cricketing point of view but also the tension boiling under the surface with lot of unnamed sources coming out from their camp as to where they are going to play their fourth Test, where they don't want to go ....So let's see how it goes," he said.

"No inside frustration but a bit of uncertainty because when you hear things like that coming particularly from India, which holds a lot of power in world cricket, its likely that it could happen," he added.

Primary focus remains on the third Test

"For us, we just want to be clear on this Test match, we know the protocols and we know what's expected of us, we will focus on that this week and then whatever happens next week happens and we will adapt to it."

Be it Brisbane or Mumbai, the Australians will go out there and play

"We are not too fussed as to where the Test is being played and we couldn't care less if you rang up and said that it's in Mumbai. We will get onto a plane and we will go and play."

Adapting to the new normal

"I am not very sure and you will have to ask the Indian guys. It hasn't affected us and we have spoken about it again. This year the protocols are different and you don't know whether others teams are breaching or not, we can't control. We can control how we go about it."

[PTI inputs]