COLLISION COURSE
Skippers get close in Perth
CRICKET: Tim Paine and Virat Kohli wasted no time resuming hostilities in Perth, prompting a stern rebuke from umpire Chris Gaffaney.
Having engaged in a verbal battle late on day three of the second Test, Australia and India’s respective captains again squabbled during yesterday’s morning session.
Kohli squared up to Paine while the Australian was completing a run and stump microphones picked up Gaffaney demanding the two behave themselves.
“That’s enough ... play the game,” Gaffaney said. “You boys are the captains. Play the game.”
Paine defended himself, saying “there’s no swearing”.
But Gaffaney reminded the skippers of their roles. “You’re the captain, Tim,” he responded.
An increasingly fired-up Kohli pleaded his case to square-leg umpire Kumar Dharmasena as Paine and Usman Khawaja continued to extend Australia’s second-innings lead.
Former Australian paceman Mitchell Johnson revealed what Kohli was saying.
“Speaking to a couple of the boys, Virat was going to the umpire and telling the umpire that ‘Tim Paine is talking to me. Can you tell him to stop?’ That type of thing,” Johnson told Fox Cricket. “Which I find quite interesting with what happened yesterday.”
Commentating on Seven, Damien Fleming said it was a sign Kohli was “starting to lose it”.
Former Test captain Ricky Ponting also said on Seven he had no issue with the exchanges, noting nothing aggressive or explicit had been detected on TV.
Paine’s fighting knock was brought to an end on 37 when he gloved a rising Mohammed Shami delivery to Kohli to slip.
Kohli could hardly contain his joy as he gobbled up the catch.
Tensions bubbled on day three when Kohli and teammates appealed vociferously for a caught-behind appeal in the final over, desperate to dismiss Paine.
It was turned down and India had no interest in reviewing but stump microphones picked up Kohli having a dig at his counterpart.
“If he messes it up, it’s 2-0,” Kohli said, referencing the series lead he wants.
Paine replied: “You’ve got to bat first, big head”.
Australia was bowled out for 243 in the second session yesterday, leading by 286 runs.
Mohammed Shami was the pick of the Indian bowlers, claiming 6-56, while Jasprit Bumrah chipped in with 3-39.
After Paine and Usman Khawaja (72) got their team back on top, Australia had lost five wickets for 15 runs before tailenders Josh Hazlewood (17 not out) and Mitchell Starc (14) added 36 runs for the final wicket.