"I set a pretty poor example with my use of language" - Tim Paine after sledging Ashwin
Tim Paine is not proud of his sledging against Ravichandran Ashwin which got caught on the stump mic and led to an uproar. The Australian captain conceded he set a wrong precedent and that he needs to be careful in the future.
Ashwin and Hanuma Vihari salvaged a remarkable draw for India on Monday. The duo battled for almost 300 deliveries which frustrated the Aussies to the limits.
Tim Paine kept chatting behind the stumps and one of these comments to Ashwin led to the off-spinner retorting with an equally stark jibe. Paine was visibly agitated by that and replied with an abusive slur. The entire video went viral on social media and met with trolls and condemnation for the wicketkeeper-batsman.
Talking in the post-match press conference, Tim Paine said he is disappointed with himself.
"We all know that stump mic is part of the broadcast and it is great to bring the viewers that close and to be able to hear and unfortunately I set a pretty poor example with my use of language. Certainly disappointed with myself after I heard that. We know we gotta be careful. ...I need to set a better example than that," said Paine.
Paine revealed he reached out to Ashwin after the game with a gesture of respect. He gave the off-spinner a pat on the back and the pair shared a laugh as well.
Australian team did not condone racial abuse: Tim Paine
The riveting Test match was beset with another controversy. Some fans at the Sydney Cricket Ground allegedly hurled racial slurs at Indian players and had to be pulled out of the ground after Mohammed Siraj's complaints on the 4th day.
Tim Paine, who was batting at that time, joined the Indian huddle to show support for the visitors. He clarified the same in the press-conference saying he is disappointed to see such things happen with the visiting teams.
"Cricket Australia and Australian team did not condone any sought of abuse particularly racial abuse. I just wanted to let them (India) know that we are with them and it was not condoned by any of us. Really disappointed to see that happens with teams when they come to Australia and we wanted to stop it," said Paine.
After 3 closely-fought Tests, India and Australia are level at 1-1. The final Test will kick start on January 15th at the Gabba, Brisbane.