Sunil Gavaskar feels that Tim Paine should be removed as Australia's Test captain

Sunil Gavaskar is evidently unimpressed with the likes of current Australian Test skipper Tim Paine. Apparently, Paine was accused of sledging Indian batsmen in the 3rd Test of the 2020 Border Gavaskar Trophy. The veteran felt that the hosts had a great chance to take a 2-1 lead in the Test series. However, India put on a resilient performance to neutralize Australia.

Gavaskar boldly acclaimed that Paine should have worked on his fielding placements. Gavaskar also felt that Paine did not utilise well his bowlers. Instead, Gavaskar felt that Paine was more busy sledging Indian batsmen rather than focusing on the game. The Australian skipper got into an argument with Ravichandran Ashwin. Speaking to a source, Gavaskar stated that he would not be surprised if Tim Paine is dropped as Australia’s Test captain.

Paine’s dropped catches allowed India to secure a draw

Apart from his decision making, Sunil Gavaskar also questioned Tim Paine’s ability as a wicketkeeper. The Australian Test skipper is widely considered by many as the best wicket-keeper in Australia. However, he was nowhere near his best in the 3rd Test against India. This is clearly evident by the fact that he dropped 3 catches on day 5 of the 3rd Test.

2 out of 3 chances were those of the Delhi southpaw Rishabh Pant. The Australian skipper surely regretted those golden opportunities as Pant went on to smash 97 runs. Pant’s innings could be considered as the game-changing innings in the 3rd Test. In just 118 balls, Pant amassed 12 fours and 3 sixes, falling just 3 runs short of a historic century. 

With only 10 overs left to play, Paine dropped his 3rd catch in the entire day. This time, the batsman was Hanuma Vihari. Gavaskar felt that Paine should have left the ball for the slip. However, it didn’t happen that way, as Vihari got a crucial lifeline. Ultimately, Vihari and Ashwin went on to secure a well-earned draw for India.

Gavaskar finally signed off by stating that Paine’s sledging was unnecessary. This clearly depicted that the skipper was frustrated and was out of thoughts. It will now be quite interesting to see how Australia responds in the 4th Test against India. The final Test of the 2020 Border Gavaskar Trophy will take place at Brisbane from 15th January.

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