Paine says he has no regrets sledding Ashwin in 2020-21 Sydney Test

Former Australian captain and wicketkeeper-batsman Tim Paine has no regrets about sledding Ravichandran Ashwin during the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020-21, saying he did it to upset the Indian off-spinner which “irritated” him because of his frequent wicket.

After losing the series opener in Adelaide, India defied all odds to take the series 2-1. Ashwin played a crucial role in clinching the third Test in Sydney, batting 42.4 overs with a sore back alongside Hanuma Vihari.

After failing to break Ashwin’s resolve with the bat, Paine started prodding the Indian from behind the stumps. “I can’t wait to get you to the Gabba, Ash, let me tell you what, woohoo,” Paine said ahead of an over from off-spinner Nathan Lyon.

But Paine has no regrets.

“No, I don’t because to this day Ashwin didn’t play in that (Brisbane) Test match. I wasn’t talking to the Indians, I was talking to him. I said we can’t wait to take you to the Gabba. “…Because he annoyed us, to be honest. He is a fantastic cricketer. He used to take me out all the time and that irritated me too,” Paine said in a ‘thegradecricketer’ podcast.

Ashwin also replied to Paine in the same manner and said, “Just like we want to get you to India. That will be your last series.”

Paine said the sled was aimed at the Indian spinner. “But no, that was purely aimed directly at him and he withdrew from that Test match due to back spasms.”

“Did I play a great game in that match? No, but I came first. Actually, on the first day of the Test match, he (Ashwin) was jogging laps. Those back spasms couldn’t have been that bad,” he added.