Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has adviced Indian team in a strongly worded statement to respect the protocols in place or rule themselves out of playing eleven. Manjrekar's statement comes after five Indian players including Rohit Sharma were caught breaching Covid-19 protocols in place.

Earlier one of the disgruntled Indian team member spoke to website 'Cricbuzz.' He said: "We think it's contradictory if you are going to allow fans to come to the ground and enjoy that freedom, and then ask us as performers to go back to the hotel and quarantine. That is especially after we've been tested negative for the virus. We don't want to be treated like we are animals in the zoo," the source reporters.

"It goes back to what we've said from the beginning. We want to follow the same rules as every Australian citizen in the country. So, if crowds weren't allowed inside the ground, then it makes sense for them to ask us to quarantine inside the hotel," he added.

The Indian cricket team and support start underwent an RT-PCR Test for Covid-19 on January 3 and the tests have returned negative results, the BCCI said on Monday, amid media scrutiny stemmed from the apparent quarantine breach by five Indian cricketers in Melbourne last week.  The team along with the Australian contingent will fly to Sydney today for the third Test starting January 7. "Playing members of the Indian Cricket Team and support staff underwent an RT-PCR Test for Covid-19 on January 3, 2021. All tests have returned negative results," the BCCI said.

While the Australian press has been calling for investigations into the alleged breach, the Indian camp is 'back the belief' that no protocol was broken. "The boys have shut the outside world and they are not even looking at who is saying what. We are backing our belief that no protocol was broken and that is that. We are now looking at the third Test and the focus is on the next game at the SCG. We want to make it 2-1 by the time we leave the SCG at the end of the Test match," a BCCI source said as quoted by a news agency.

(With inputs from agencies)