Tim Paine, Australian skipper had a nightmare outing, losing his cool multiple times, apart from dropping three catches on Day 5 of the 3rd Test at Sydney.
On Tuesday 12th January, the Australian captain called an impromptu virtual press-conference and apologized for his conduct at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
Tim Paine Want To Apologise For Mistakes
In the 3rd Test, Australia failed to break down India’s resolve as an inspiring batting display by the visitors helped them keep the series on level terms at 1-1, before the final Test at the Gabba, Brisbane which starts on January 15.
On the final day of the Sydney Test, Tim Paine’s talk behind the stumps was picked up by the stump microphone as he launched verbal volleys at all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin, having unable to dismiss him.
He said, “I’m human, I want to apologize for the mistakes that I made.”
“I’m someone who prides themselves on the way I lead this team and yesterday was a poor reflection,” Tim Paine was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.
“My leadership wasn’t good enough, I let the pressure of the game get to me. It affected my mood and then from there affected my performance. I said to our players yesterday ‘I’ve had a really poor game as a leader’. I let our group down,” he added.
The Australian captain said he spoke to the veteran Indian spinner after the fifth day’s play, telling him “I ended up looking the fool, didn’t I?”.
“You open your mouth and then you drop a catch. We had a bit of a laugh about that,” he said.
Ravichandran Ashwin was one of the heroes for India on the day apart from Hanuma Vihari. The duo forged a 62 run unbroken partnership for 6th wicket as India scored 334/5 chasing 407 for an improbable win.
Tim Paine Fined 15% Of Match Fee For Showing Dissent
Tim Paine was also fined 15 per cent of his match fee for showing dissent over an on-field umpire’s call. He was found guilty of breaching Article 2.8 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel.
The ICC issued a press statement issued on Sunday, where the apex body said that there was no need for a formal hearing as Australian skipper Tim Paine pleaded guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanctions.
Ravichandran Ashwin, who scored 39 and Hanuma Vihari who scored 23 batted with incredible grit and determination to keep the Australian bowlers at bay. Both remained unbeaten. Hanuma Vihari suffered a hamstring injury and was unable to run much especially facing difficulty in taking quick singles and that took away any chance of India chasing down the total.
Instead, the duo played for the draw by blocking everything that came their way, as India eked out what would go down in history as one of the most memorable drawn matches. The fourth and final Test is scheduled to be played at the Gabba, starting on January 15 as India are struggling to field an XI for injuries sustained by many players.