My Sports App Download
500 MB Free on Subscription


Sunil Gavaskar Slams Tim Paine for Sledging Ravichandran Ashwin

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar lashed out at Australia captain Tim Paine on Monday for sledging veteran India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin during the third Test, that ended on a draw, referring his behaviour as "unbefitting" of a leader and that could cost him his captaincy as well. However, Australia's mighty bowling attack did trouble the Team India on the fifth day but they stood strong at the SCG and did well too.

"I don't know I am not an Australian selector, but his days as captain are numbered. If you allow the Indian team to bat 130-odd overs without getting wickets, this is a very good Australian attack. The bowling changes, the field placements, everything could have made a difference to the result," Gavaskar said to India Today.

However, Tim Paine dropped a few catches that certainly cost them in the partnership of Hanuma Vihari (23 not out off 161) and Ravichandran Ashwin (39 not out off 128), who batted for nearly four hours and over 42 overs where they added a 62-run stand to save the Test as well. Meanwhile, the Aussie skipper said some words with Ashwin to disturb him during the last session and ended up dropping Vihari as well.

"Tim Paine was more interested in talking to the batsman rather than his field placing and bowling changes. So I won't be surprised if there is a change in the Australian captaincy after the series is over," Gavaskar said. "If you drop simple catches, Rishabh Pant got two edges, they were not difficult catches, the last one which he missed off Vihari was also which he could have left to the first slip."

"He was a little bit disturbed, his concentration was not there after that little episode with R Ashwin. First and foremost, it was unbefitting of a captain of a national team to be talking about something other than cricket," Gavaskar again shared.

"By all means, you want to have a go at the opposition, you talk about their cricket, you can tell the batsmen he doesn't know how to play, you can say he is no good. All those kinds of things are completely acceptable because you're talking cricket. But when you talk about something else, it shows your frustration. It shows you are not able to bear the fact that the opposition is putting up a fight," he further added.

"Your best bet is to concentrate on the game and try not to upset the opposition with this kind of nonsense that has no place in the game," Gavaskar said.

Paine, on the other hand, had defended himself after the game citing that it was all a part of the game and he sees there's no harm in it as well. Both the team have won one game each with the third one ended on a draw. The final Test will begin from January 15.