Paine banter li s gloom for Aussies

– Australian skipper Tim Paine proved he still had a sense of humour despite a gruelling day in the field yesterday, gamefully answering a journalist’s phone during a live press conference.

The wicketkeeper could have been forgiven for wanting to get out of the room as fast as possible after 167 overs behind the stumps against India in the fourth Test in Sydney.

But when a phone on the desk in front of him rang he picked it up and had chat with the reporter’s editor at the other end, leaving the media pack in stitches.

“Tim Paine speaking,” he said. “Who is it, sorry? It’s Katie in Hong Kong. Who are you after?” he went on.

“Ah Martin, he’s in the middle of a press conference at the moment. Can I get him to call you back?

“No worries, I’ll tell him to check his emails. Thanks Katie, cheers.”

Paine has proven before that he enjoys a laugh, engaging in hilarious on-field banter during the series, including a cheeky sledge in the second Test in Perth to Murali Vijay about Indian captain Virat Kohli.

“I know he’s your captain but you can’t seriously like him as a bloke,” he said.

And at the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne he suggested Indian wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant could babysit for him and his wife.

“Fancy that, Pantsy? Extend your little Aussie holiday. Can you babysit? I’ll take the wife to the movies one night and you’ll look after the kids.”

Despite the fun, Paine knows he has a mountain to climb today with India declaring on a massive 622/7 in Sydney.

Australia were 24 without loss in reply. – AFP