Tim Paine, who lost a series to India's C Team says he loves watching England lose to India's B team
Updated - 08 Mar 2024, 02:10 PM
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Former Australian cricketers Brad Haddin and Tim Paine took a dig at England following their Test series loss against India. Tim Paine stated that he loves watching England lose, highlighting that the Indian team is without some key players in the ongoing series.
The Ben Stokes-led side registered a 28-run victory during the series opener in Hyderabad. However, they failed to maintain their winning momentum and lost three consecutive Test matches. The Three Lions suffered their first Test series loss in the Bazball era.
In the absence of key players like Virat Kohli and Mohammed Shami, Team India relied on emerging talents such as Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan, and Dhruv Jurel to fill the void. Kohli opted for paternity leave, while Shami is recuperating from an injury.
England, trailing 1-3 in the series, strives to salvage pride in the ongoing fifth Test at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala. However, their current position in the ongoing Test match indicates that achieving victory will be difficult for the visitors.
The Three Lions were bowled out for just 218 runs on the opening day of the last Test match. England’s bowlers struggled to make an impact in India’s innings. The home team surpassed England’s score on the second day, ending the first session with 264/1 in 60 overs.
Thoroughly Enjoy Watching England Play The Game – Tim Paine
Tim Paine, who was the captain of the Australian Test team that lost to India at home, admitted to enjoying seeing England lose. The former wicketkeeper acknowledged the absence of key players for India.
“I know what it’s like to be beaten by an Indian B team. Unfortunately, it happened to us on our home soil. But yes, some huge names out for India, which should have certainly helped the English. I thoroughly enjoy watching England play the game, I love the way they are going about it. I love watching them lose. Don’t get me wrong but they are entertaining and exciting. They have been for Test cricket,” Paine told Around the Wicket.
Tim Paine was the captain during India’s remarkable 2020/21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy win in Australia. With key players like Kohli, Shami, and Umesh Yadav absent and no Ashwin or Bumrah available, Ajinkya Rahane led a group of young talents, including Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, and Mohammed Siraj, to a historic victory.
Ben Stokes Deserves A Lot Of Credit – Brad Haddin
Brad Haddin criticized Ben Stokes for suggesting that the 1-3 scoreline doesn’t reflect the series’ competitiveness. However, Haddin acknowledged Stokes’ tactical brilliance in guiding the young spinners Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, and Shoaib Bashir.
“It sounded like a thinly veiled sledge, didn’t it? You can’t fault Ben Stokes because he has been magnificent tactically in this series. England have got a very young spin attack in tough conditions in the sub-continent but young Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, Shoaib Bashir have been fantastic and Ben Stokes deserves a lot of credit for that,” Haddin said.
Also read: Don’t think New Zealand have got the firepower to beat Australia – Tim Paine’s sensational claim
