"Suits him well" - Twitterati trolls Tim Paine for carrying water in a BBL match
Twitter exploded on Sunday as Australian Test captain Tim Paine was seen carrying water for the Hobart Hurricanes batsmen in a Big Bash League game.
Tim Paine has divided the opinions in Australia and the cricketing fraternity worldwide over his team's 2-1 drubbing against India.
The wicket-keeper batsman's captaincy has come under immense scrutiny after India managed consecutive escapes in Sydney and Brisbane. The latter hurt the Aussies more as it was their first loss at the Gabba in over 32 years.
Tim Paine specifically drew criticism and trolls, mostly Indian and English fans for his sledge against Ravichandran Ashwin in Sydney, in which he challenged the off-spinner and his team to win at the Gabba.
Following the conclusion of the tour, Paine went straight to his BBL team. But he hasn't got an opportunity to play for the Hurricanes in their two games since his return yet.
Certain users found it ironic that the Australian Test captain couldn't even make it to his BBL team's playing XI.
Twitterati trolls Tim Paine for carrying water in a BBL game
From captain of Australia, Paine now plays the role of a water boy for the Hobart Hurricanes. And Twitterati made their opinions about the switch in roles clear.
Some fans defend Tim Paine from harsh criticism
However, some netizens found Tim Paine's act as a mark of 'sportsmanship' and pointed out that his criticism has gone a bit overboard.
Besides his captaincy, Tim Paine also came under fire in the Test series for dropping crucial chances in the last two Test matches.
In Sydney, he dropped Rishabh Pant twice, and the southpaw went on the make 97. Paine also grassed a catch off Hanuma Vihari's blade late in the innings.
Then in Brisbane, the wicketkeeper couldn't hold on to a difficult chance by Pant early in his innings. The rest, as they say, is history.