Tim Paine Admits He Needs To Set A Better Example For Kids Watching Test Cricket

Tim Paine, Australia captain concedes he was disappointed with his on-field behaviour during the drawn third Test against India. Tim Paine has won praise from all quarters for driving cultural change within the team since being appointed skipper in the aftermath of the 2018 Cape Town ball-tampering scandal which led to 1-year ban of Steve Smith and David Warner besides stripping of captaincy.

Tim Paine admits he needs to set a better example for kids watching Test cricket on television, also lamenting three dropped catches on a forgettable day for the Australia captain.

Tim Paine Fined 15% Of Match Fee For Showing Dissent

But the conduct of Australia’s wicketkeeper and the captain was criticized by Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar as the tourists held on for a gallant draw at the SCG, where Tim Paine capped a disappointing day by dropping a late catch after a tense verbal banter with Ravichandran Ashwin.

Tim Paine was fined 15 per cent of his match fee after being found guilty of dissent on day three of the third Vodafone Test when he appealed to standing umpire Paul Wilson using foul words.

“I probably set a pretty poor example with my use of language,” he told reporters. “Certainly disappointed with myself. I certainly didn’t mean to be disrespectful to him (Wilson). It was just heat of moment. I need to be better. I know the stump mics are on and there’s a lot of kids watching, and I need to set a better example.”

Ravichandran Ashwin and Sunil Gavaskar both took exception to Tim Paine’s verbals in Monday’s final session; the latter as a commentator on the Seven Network. Ravichandran Ashwin was on strike and pulled away on multiple occasions during Nathan Lyon’s 44th over, unhappy with Tim Paine’s talk from behind the stumps.

Tim Paine Defends Conduct Of Him And Team After 3rd Test Ends In Draw

Stump microphones picked up some of Tim Paine’s verbals, including when he used foul words to the veteran spinner and boasted of having “more Indian friends”  than he does. Sunil Gavaskar said that it was ridiculous.

“Even your teammates think you’re a goose. Don’t they? Every one of them,” he told Ashwin. “How many IPL teams wanted you, when you asked every single one of them to have you?” asked the skipper.

“Frankly, it’s ridiculous,” Sunil Gavaskar said during commentary. “It’s unnecessary.”

India’s stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane was less concerned post-match, noting such chatter is to be expected in Test cricket a day after 6 spectators were expelled for racism comments.

“As long as it stays on the field,” Rahane said, praising the performance of Ashwin, who withstood a fierce Australian assault to salvage the draw under immense pressure.

Tim Paine, who grassed Australia’s final chance of the Test soon after the spat, defended the conduct of him and his team, stressing the need to set a better example of himself for kids glued to TV sets.

“We try our best but we aren’t perfect,” he said.

However, the 36-year-old Tim Paine was more upset with his sub-par effort behind the stumps on Monday.

“I’m bitterly disappointed, I pride myself on my wicketkeeping,” Tim Paine said, having dropped edges offered by Rishabh Pant on three and 56, before spilling an outside edge from Mitchell Starc that would have sent Hanuma Vihari packing with 10 overs left in the day.

“Haven’t had too many worse days than that. It’s a horrible feeling … I let them (bowlers) down. I have to wear that.”

Indian team while chasing a stiff mammoth target of 407 ended the 5th day’s play with the score at 334/5 with Hanuma Vihari scoring 23 off 161 balls and Ravichandran Ashwin scoring 39 off 128 balls. Both remained unbeaten and forged an unbroken 62 run partnership for 6th wicket. Cheteshwar Pujara scored 77 and Rishabh Pant scored a quickfire 97 but after their dismissal, the duo played out almost 45 overs.