Tim Paine, the former Australian cricketer, recently admitted to his annoyance at being advised against sledging Virat Kohli, the Indian cricket star. Paine and Kohli had fiery verbal exchanges during India's victorious 2018/19 tour of Australia, marking India's first series win Down Under.
Paine clarified that sledging Kohli didn't significantly impact his performance, as the Indian captain remained adept at scoring runs regardless. While Paine didn't actively seek to provoke Kohli, he aimed to unsettle him to disrupt his focus and potentially induce errors.
In the Amazon documentary, The Test, Paine reflected on the sledging incident, revealing that initially, he refrained from engaging Kohli while he batted. However, upon witnessing Kohli taunting his teammates, Paine chose to defend himself and his team by confronting the Indian captain.
Recognising Kohli's penchant for confrontation, Paine opted for subtle provocations rather than escalating the conflict physically. Despite Paine's tactics, Kohli notably scored a century in Perth during that series.