About the battle between the Australian team wicketkeeper Tim Paine and the Indian captain Virat Kohli, it can be said that this has been one of the most aggressive on-field rivalries of the recent times. And although they are rivals, the two have come to respect each other though they do not like it and their clashes during a game have been quite interesting. In an interview with BBC Sport on Monday, Paine was asked about his technique of sledging Kohli, and he said that he does not attempt to provoke the Indian captain much.
A Respectful Rivalry
Australian wicketkeeper Tim Paine is reported to have said that he would not attempt to sledge the Indian captain Virat Kohli as he has an unmatched concentration in his eyes.
Virat Kohli’s Intensity
Paine, who has face off Kohli often in test series also has exchanged some words with him also held a similar view that sledging is allowed in the game and he himself does not target Kohli.
“I think you’ve got to be careful with Virat because he’s a very intense guy and he’s got a lot of passion for the game,” Paine said in an interview. “I wouldn’t try too much to fire him up because I think he’s already pretty motivated. He’s a very driven individual.”
Staying Calm Under Pressure
The Indian captain has often risen to the occasion when the going gets tough and Paine considers this quality as a big strength that the Indian captain has. “He has a great psychological strength He will always find a way to bounce back,” Paine added. “He appears to hold nerves and he always manages to make those crucial runs or take those vital wickets.”
The Importance of Sledging
Despite the fact that Pain may not go out of his way to provoke Kohli, he admitted that there is still banana skin in cricket. “Well, sledging is fine with me as it’s part of the game and it can also be a tool topsyche out the opponent’s player, “Paine said. “But at the end of the day one is not looking to provoke somebody to the extreme of anger just to win a point . It is about creating advantage,”
Respect and Rivalry
In any case, Paine states that he has been managing his confrontations with Kohli with a different kind of mentality that resulted from a mutual respect. ‘And I believe that’s because of the respect I have had for him and because of that I have been able to play the game with a type of immunity where I am not really bothered trying to provoke him,’ noted Paine. I believe that has assisted me in taking good cricket against him and I am expecting more confrontations in the coming games.
Being two of the best players in the contemporary cricket Tim Paine and Virat Kohli are going to face each other quite often in the future. But there is one difference – due to a case of a bitter rivalry they have come to a level of respect to each other, which is not present in the relationships with other competitors. If they will ever turn into friends, may be only time will tell, but one thing is sure, the cricket audience all around the world will get to enjoy the competition these two cricketers have between them for quite many more years.