Even as the Test series Down Under is over, the banter does not seem to have stopped. India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin – who had a verbal duel with Australian skipper Tim Paine at Sydney – took another potshot at him. During a conversation on his YouTube channel with fielding coach R Sridhar, Ashwin reckoned that Paine played the perfect host by missing Rishabh Pant’s stumping.
Paine – who did not have a good series with the gloves – missed an easy stumping of Pant on the final day at Gabba when the game was in the balance.
“Tim Paine missed the stumping of Pant in the second innings of the Gabba Test. But I started liking him, he invited us, played the perfect hosts by missing the stumping chance, and awarded us the series as well. Can’t say he helped us win 2-1 but yeah, on a sarcastic note, he did,” Ashwin said in a chat with fielding coach R Sridhar on his YouTube channel.
Pant’s 89* helped India over the line in a 328 chase as they retained the Border-Gavaskar trophy by breaching fortress Gabba after 32 years.
The young wicketkeeper from India was awarded the man of the match for his brilliant knock under pressure.
Pant came in to bat at a crucial juncture of the match – with all three results possible. He played his natural game where he took the attack to the opposition and destroyed all their plans. The counterpunching knock bruised the egos of the hosts as India cruised to a three-wicket win.
Team India would now lock horns with England at home with the first Test scheduled to start on February 5 in Chennai. It would be interesting to see the XI that is picked for the opening Test as many injured Indian stars would come back in the team.