Australia v India: Sunil Gavaskar’s blunt psychological warfare warning to captain Tim Paine

Australian captain Tim Paine begs to differ, but Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar says Virat Kohli will hold a significant psychological edge going into the first Test.

Australia's Tim Paine said earlier this summer that his relationship with Virat Kohli is virtually non-existent apart from meeting at the toss.

Tim Paine has been accused of letting Virat Kohli slip under his skin the last time they met and giving the Indians a significant psychological edge for the first Test.

Indian cricket Godfather Sunil Gavaskar has lit the fuse for an explosive series opener in Adelaide by suggesting Paine’s famous “you can’t seriously like him as a bloke” sledge was a sign the Australian skipper had lost the mental game to Kohli.

Paine has a very different take on what the running battle he had with Kohli two summers ago meant for his team, with the Australian camp identifying it as a seminal moment where the skipper broke the ice for them to finally get their competitive fire back after feeling compelled to behave like choir boys in the wake of the ball tampering scandal.

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Sunil Gavaskar says Tim Paine has already surrendered a major tactical and mental advantage heading into the first Test.

Kohli reportedly sledged his counterpart for being a “part-time captain”, and feeling he had to stand up for his undermanned team, Paine returned serve, culminating in his classic line to Indian batsman Murali Vijay: “I know he’s your captain, but you can’t seriously like him as a bloke.”

At one point the pair had to be separated by umpires and although Australia won that fiery Test match in Perth, Gavaskar claims India and Kohli won the war.

Tim Paine bats at the Adelaide Oval before Thursday’s first Test.

Kohli is only in Australia for one match, but Gavaskar is adamant Paine has surrendered a major tactical and mental advantage heading into a first Test that feels almost do-or-die in terms of its importance.

“The way it looked to me … was that Virat and the Indian team had got under Tim Paine’s skin and that’s always a big plus,” said Gavaskar, who is part of the Channel 7 commentary this summer.

“When something like that happens and you get under, not just the player, but under the opposing captain’s skin — clearly I think the Indian team and Virat start with a psychological plus for the first Test.

“I would imagine that Virat’s got the tactical edge for the simple reason that he’s won the last series when Tim Paine was captain, so that straight away starts him off with a psychological advantage.”

Former Australian great and Fox Cricket expert Mark Waugh disagrees and claims India’s tactical advantage may actually come when Kohli heads home.

“ (Ajinkya) Rahane, who is the vice-captain, seems to be a very good tactician,” Waugh told News Corp earlier this summer.

“When he captains the team I think he’s probably a better tactician than Kohli to be honest.

“Not many people will say that but I think he’s a good captain, Rahane.”

At one moment out in the middle two summers ago, Kohli squared up chest-to-chest with Paine as umpires intervened.

Paine will have to be on top of his game going in the crucial opening Test. Picture.

Paine says his motivation to break Australia’s self-imposed cone of silence with Kohli was to stand up for his teammates and set a tone for how the side could reclaim its competitive mojo without risking the ire of the public by crossing the line.

The incident earned Paine a lot of respect from Australian fans.

“I was just sitting and watching him and he gave a few of our guys send-offs,” Paine said on the documentary, The Test.

“The plan was not to talk to him when he was batting. When we were batting, it’s kinds of up to the individual what they want to do and I sort of just had enough and thought you also have to stand up for yourselves and stand up for your teammates.

“And that was one of the reasons. I just thought, ‘I am the captain it is my turn now. I have to stand up and show him that we were here for the fight.’”

Paine told the ABC earlier this summer that his relationship with Kohli is virtually non-existent apart from meeting at the toss.

In an interview about The Test documentary, Paine explained more about his motivations.

“He was trying to upset me with the part-time captain (line), and I sort of went the opposite with him. I was sort of telling him how good he was and that he was the greatest player ever,” he said.

“You don’t want to get right into a fight with him because that’s what he likes. I was just trying to poke him a little bit and see if I could get him to implode a little bit.”

BUMPER TIME: LEGEND’S BRUTAL WARNING FOR PUCOVSKI

Australia has been given a brutal warning that Will Pucovski will face a short-ball interrogation if he’s picked to debut in Adelaide next week.

This is the verdict of one of the game’s most respected voices and the Godfather of Indian cricket, Sunil Gavaskar who says if Australia is concerned about Pucovski’s concussion issues, then do not play him.

Gavaskar firmly believes that once Pucovski steps inside the rope, sport’s laws of the jungle apply and any perceived frailty will be fully exploited.

Will Pucovski retired hurt against India A after being clipped on the helmet by a bouncer. Picture: Jason McCawley/Getty Images

“Definitely. I think you would expect that to happen. Once you enter the ground whether it’s playing for your country, or even playing for your State or club, you’re going to cop it,” said Gavaskar, who has arrived in Australia to commentate the summer for Channel 7.

“If the word is that you’re not really comfortable against a particular delivery, you’re going to get a lot of it.

“I don’t see India easing up because he’s had a history of concussion.

“They’ll be saying, ‘well, if he’s got a history of concussion, then don’t pick him in the team. But you can’t restrict us bowling what we want to bowl.’

“That’s not just with India.

“If an Indian player had a similar problem, the Australians would try and exploit it. That’s par for the course.”

It was a very different story when the two teams met at the corresponding Adelaide Test back in 2014, in the first Test match back after the tragic passing of Phillip Hughes.

Will Pucovski can expect plenty of short balls if he makes his debut in the first Test in Adelaide. Picture: Jason McCawley/Getty Images

There was an aversion to bowling any bouncers, and when Mitchell Johnson finally did drop one in short and badge Virat Kohli on the helmet, the fast bowler said he felt sick to his stomach and was rocked by the incident.

But the prospect of how India might target Pucovski is a real factor in the ultimate decision Australia’s medical staff and selectors make on whether or not the 22-year-old plays nine days after suffering a mild concussion in a tour match.

Pucovski is in good spirits with the Australia A squad in Sydney and may travel to Adelaide to be with the Test team even if he ends up not playing.

Gavaskar pinpointed Mohammed Shami as India’s most tricky exponent of the short ball.

“He’s got as good a bouncer as any I’ve seen,” Gavaskar said.

“He’s not very tall. His bouncer skids at you and skids at you at pace. He’s pretty accurate with his bouncer as well. He can really unleash a lethal bouncer.

Sunil Gavaskar says India will be laughing if Cameron Green was omitted from the first Test. Picture: AFP

“He’s difficult to negotiate, mainly because he’s not very tall. With tall bowlers you can have an idea how high the ball is going to bounce but with Shami it’s just a bit more difficult. He comes at your head pretty quickly.”

Gavaskar weighed further into Australia’s selection dilemmas, claiming India would be laughing if Cameron Green was omitted from the first Test.

Australia’s problem is that Green is a middle-order batsman, where there are no vacancies, but Gavaskar said a team without the 21-year-old all-rounder would be doing India a massive favour.

“He’s got a 100 in the warm-up game … I would imagine the Indians would not want him to be playing because he’s got the confidence,” Gavaskar said.

“Look at the options he gives you. Clearly he’s a talent. He’s the kind of bowler who is going to come in and bowl a couple of spells … that takes a load off your fast bowlers if they haven’t got the early breakthroughs.”

Originally published as Australia v India: Sunil Gavaskar’s blunt psychological warfare warning to captain Tim Paine