AUS vs IND Flashback: When the Paine-Pant babysitting banter took the internet by storm
Over the years, India vs Australia has been an exciting and entertaining contest, not just because of the cricket on display but also because of the sledging and banter involved. While we have witnessed the ugly sides of it too, the last series in Australia saw some sporting banter. At the centre of it all was India’s young sensation Rishabh Pant and Aussie skipper, Tim Paine.
Tim Paine had never been known as an in-your-face, aggressive kind of a player. But he sure did show his ability to indulge in banter and have some fun in the last series. While words had been exchanged between him and the Indian batsmen throughout the series, the most memorable banter took place in the third Test.
“Tell you what big MS is back in the one day squad. Should get this bloke down to Hurricanes. They need a batter. Fancy that extend your Aussie holiday, beautiful town Hobart too… get him a water front apartment”.
Paine used Dhoni’s inclusion and Pant’s exclusion from the ODI squad to trigger the young man.
“Do you babysit?” Paine asked Pant as the batsman was looking to get his innings going.
“I’ll take the wife to the movies one night, you look after the kids?” he further inquired of Pant.
The banter left not just the commentators but also the majority of the viewers in splits. Even though abusing and sledging has got ingrained in the game, nobody enjoys such verbal aggression on the field. But this was a one-of-its-kind, harmless banter and the Aussies certainly enjoyed it.
Pant didn’t respond immediately. But the youngster was not going to let it go. He took his shot when Paine came into bat and he was behind the stumps.
“Have you ever heard the term ‘Temporary Captain’?” Pant asked the bowlers when Paine was on strike. Pant went on an absolute rampage.
“We have got a special guest here. Have you heard the word temporary captain ever? You don’t need anything to get him out.”
It was a direct pot-shot at the Aussies skipper who had taken over captaincy just a few months earlier after the ball-tampering saga. Again, it didn’t involve abuse, but with Pant not hesitating in giving it back and constantly having a go at Paine, things did get slightly heated. Or so we thought.
A couple of days after the banter, Tim Paine’s wife Bonnie sent the cricketing world in a tizzy as she posted a picture on her social media with Pant holding Tim’s children, with the caption, ‘Best Babysitter’ and a laughing emoji. It was very well received by the fans as well as the media. For once, the banter on the field had given something for everyone to smile about.
When Paine was asked by the media about the cheeky post by Bonnie, he told them that they met at the Australian Prime Minister’s place where she was also present, and they had just decided to grab a quick photo. Paine also called Pant a good sport on and off the field. It was surely one of the most memorable incidents of the last tour. It will be interesting to see if we get to witness any such playful banter this time around!
