Most Of It I Deserve - Tim Paine Reacts To Indian Fans Slamming Him For His Comments Of Team India Distracting Australia With "Sideshows"

Australia’s Test captain, Tim Paine, is currently copping flak from the Indian cricket team fans following his recent remark on Team India distracting the Aussies with their “sideshows” in the last Border-Gavaskar Trophy which the visitors won in an epic comeback.

Recalling the series loss to India at home a few months ago, Tim Paine, under whom Australia had lost its first Test series to India at home in 2018/19 too,  said the visitors drew their attention to other things and took the Aussies’ focus away from the game. He cited the example of the Indian players reportedly refusing to travel to Brisbane if the Queensland government subjected them to quarantine.

“Part of the challenge of playing against India is they’re very good at niggling you and trying to distract you with stuff that doesn’t really matter and there were times in that series where we fell for that,” Tim Paine was quoted news.com.au as saying.

“The classic example was when they said they weren’t going to the Gabba so we didn’t know where we were going. They’re very good at creating these sideshows and we took our eye off the ball,” he added.

Love their passion: Tim Paine

As soon as Tim Paine’s comments went on social media, the Indian cricket fans didn’t waste time in reminding the Aussie skipper – and his fellow Australians, too – about his  “Can’t wait to get you to Gabba mate” comment to R Ashwin in the Sydney Test, which backfired as India, under Ajinkya Rhaane, breached the fortress Gabba.

Australian Journalist Brent Costelloe took to Twitter to make Tim Paine notice of the backlash he was receiving from Indian fans.

“Almost 6 months on, poor old @tdpaine36 is still copping heat from Indian fans… and these are just the ones I’m tagged in!” Brent Costelloe wrote.

To which Tim Paine replied: “Love their passion Brent. Most of it I deserve”.

While there have been calls for replacing the 36-year-old as the skipper – and perhaps re-instate Steve Smith – it is unlikely that he would be scrapped before the Ashes Down Under later in the year.

Love their passion Brent.
Most of it I deserve ?

— Tim Paine (@tdpaine36) May 13, 2021

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