Tim Paine has become the favorite punching bag for the Indian team fans after he claimed that India is good at niggling and distracting their opponents.
Paine had pointed fingers at reports that India was unwilling to go to Brisbane for the final Test of the 4-match Test series as one of their efforts to distract the host team. Australian media reported that Indian players were not happy over hard quarantine in Brisbane, but no official word was ever released.
Eventually, the final Test went ahead at the Gabba only to see Australia lose in the format at the venue for the first time in 32 years. From getting all-out on 36 in the first Test, India bounced back to seal the series 2-1 in their favor.
Tim Paine clarifies his ‘Team India is good at niggling’ comments; says ‘they simply outplayed us’
India won the Test and also the series, which was extremely special as India played the final Test without Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Hanuma Vihari. All the aforementioned players, except Kohli (who took a paternity leave), got injured by the end of the third Test in Sydney.
Speaking to Sports Today, Deep Dasgupta has said that the Indian team never indulges itself in mind games and sideshows and found Tim Paine’s comments on blaming the Indian team for Australia losing at Gabba, amusing.
"I don't think he is making excuses to be honest. After so many months I think he was answering a question or whatever. But having said that, the fact that they did take their eyes off the ball is their fault, isn't it? There was a genuine issue there, it was not that India was trying to plan up an issue. It was a genuine issue of the Indian team going there, getting into a quarantine, into isolation before a game.
It was a genuine issue which the Indian team brought up and mind you none of the players, team management, and coaching staff said anything about it. It was just hearsay or people generally talking or rumors. I don't think any players of support staff said about not going to Gabba,” Deep Dasgupta said.
"If there was no official statement what were they talking about and what are they talking about, who they were listening to. So, basically, they messed it and lost after 30-plus years at Gabba, they lost back-to-back series to India without the Indian team not having quite a few players available for that game.
It's their fault to take their eyes off the ball. I don't think India played any mind game to be honest. I find it really amusing that he has to bring this up now and I mean just too bad that they fell for it. I don't think I have never ever heard of Indian team playing mind games and sideshows," Dasgupta told Sports Today.
Virat Kohli-led India is set to travel to England for the World Test Championship final versus New Zealand followed by a 5-match Test series against Joe Root's men.
(India Today inputs)
