AUS v IND 2018-19: Kohli-Paine verbal duel was perfectly within limits, says Mike Hussey

The Indian skipper was engaged in a war of words with his Australian counterpart in Perth.

The incident kickstarted widespread debates around the world | Getty

Indian skipper Virat Kohli's verbal exchange and slight bit of physical altercation with rival captain Tim Paine was perfectly within limits of acceptable on-field behaviour, feels former Australia batsman Mike Hussey.

Having earlier stated that Virat "was out of control" with his ways during the second Test at Perth, Hussey has now given clarity to his stance where he said that none of the two cricketers involved went "over the top."

"It was not aggressive or abusive. This is a tough series and you expect the odd thing to be said. It did not get out of hand," Hussey told PTI, "I thought both players handled it well. It was nipped in the bud before it could escalate and get emotional."

"It showed both teams will play tough cricket and they are not going to back down. They will stand up for what they believe but doing it in the right way, not getting abusive or over the top."

The 43-year-old, who played 79 Tests and 185 ODIs, also spoke about the inspirational and ever admirable Tim Paine's captaincy as he lavished praise over the wicketkeeper-batsman for leading Australia's resurgence in the four-match Test series.

"For me, at the moment I am seeing feel-good actions on the field (from Paine's team). Their skills are tough and they are not compromising on playing as hard as they can. They are giving a hundred per cent, but if something needs to be said, it is not abusive," said Hussey after that dominating 146-run victory over India in Perth, "You can be aggressive but you still need to respect your opposition and that to me is what the Australian cricket brand is."

"Maybe we have not always been like that and certainly deserve some criticism for having gone over the top. But in my mind, this team is playing good Australian brand of tough cricket," he signed off.

 
 

By Kashish Chadha - 22 Dec, 2018

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