The Australian Test skipper, Tim Paine is well aware of the fact that his Indian counterpart Virat Kohli is one of the toughest players to play against, considering the competitive nature of the latter. Paine said Kohli has enough hunger in him to dominate teh proceedings on teh field through which he can get under the opposition’s skin. Tim Paine added that Virat Kohli is one of the best batsmen going around and he is someone whom he would love to have on his team.
Kohli and Paine have often been engaging in on-field banter in past. Notably, Virat Kohli had led the Indian team to their first-ever Test series victory in Australia in 2018 when Tim Paine and his men suffered a 2-1 series loss. Earlier this year, Kohli played only one of the 4 Tests in Australia before heading back to India on paternity leave.
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Incidentally, India got bundled out of a paltry of 36 in the first Test which they lost. However, the Asian giants bounced back and clinched an emphatic 2-1 series win under Ajinkya Rahane’s leadership.
Talking about Kohli on the Gilly and Goss podcast, Tim Paine said, “For Virat Kohli, I’ve said many times, he seems like the type of player you would love to have on your team. He is competitive. He is the best batsman in the world.”
Paine acknowledged the banter between the two players in 2018 and said Kohli will be one of the unforgettable cricketers during his career.
The Australian skipper explained, “He is challenging to play against and he can get under your skin because he is so good and he is so competitive. But yeah, for me from where I came from, sharing a feud with him four years ago, He is certainly someone I will always remember.”
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Only recently, Tim Paine said India employed distraction tactics during their latest series win in Australia, pointing fingers at reports of India’s unwillingness to play in Brisbane. However, Rahane’s men went to Brisbane and made Australia lost their first Test at Gabba in 1988.
