"He's the best batsman in the world and he can get under your skin" - Tim Paine on Virat Kohli
Tim Paine has been frank in his assessment of Virat Kohli, labeling the Indian captain as the "best batsman in the world". The Australian skipper conceded Kohli is a tough customer to deal with on the field, hailing his Indian counterpart’s competitive spirit.
Virat Kohli and Tim Paine have often traded verbal volleys on the field. The opposing skippers have had some stern words for each other, with the stump mic suggesting the pair don’t share the healthiest of relationships.
The Australian Test captain got together with Adam Gilchrist and Tim Gossage on the “Gilly and Goss” podcast, where he was asked to share something positive about Virat Kohli.
"For Virat Kohli, I've said many times, he seems the type of player you would love to have on your team. He is competitive, he is the best batsman in the world. He is challenging to play against and he can get under your skin because he is so good and he is so competitive. But yeah for me from where I came from, sharing a feud with him four years ago, He is certainly someone I will always remember,” Paine said
Tim Paine and Virat Kohli have engaged in verbal duels over the past couple of years. Speaking on the matter in the documentary ‘The Test’, Paine narrated how his on-field battle with Kohli panned out during the 2018/19 series.
“I was just sitting and watching him and he gave a few of our guys send-offs. The plan was not to talk to him when he was batting. When we're batting, it's kind of up to the individual what they want to do. And I sort of just had enough and thought you also have to stand up for yourselves and stand up for your teammates. And that was one of the reasons. I just thought I am the captain it is my turn now. I have to stand up and show him that we were here for the fight. He was trying to upset me with the part-time captain and I sort of went the opposite with him. I was sort of telling him how good he was and that he was the greatest player ever,” Paine explained.
“I love the Indian fans” - Tim Paine
Tim Paine has grabbed the headlines for all the wrong reasons ever since he claimed India’s ‘sideshows’ distracted Australia during the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The Australian skipper attracted the wrath of Indian fans soon after he made the comments, with many trolling the 36-year-old for being a sore loser.
When asked to share his views on the Indian fans, Tim Paine made it clear that he doesn’t mind the banter with them.
“I love the Indian fans. I don’t mind getting a bit of stick, particularly when you deserve it. They ripped me off when I dropped those catches, I thought that was totally fair. Look, I love the passion, I love how much they love cricket. I love how much they interact and for some people, it is a positive interaction, but most of the time they are into me. But I don’t mind that,” Paine claimed.
After his fiery comments, Tim Paine recently claimed that he deserved most of the criticism, as he praised the Indian fans for their passion.