Australian skipper Tim Paine held his hand up and took responsibility for dropping three catches that probably cost his side a win on the final day of the Sydney Test.
The wicketkeeper dropped Rishabh Pant twice off Nathan Lyon and Hanuma Vihari off Mitchell Starc that allowed India to salvage a draw.
“I am bitterly disappointed. I pride myself on my keeping and yeah, I haven’t had too many worse days than that,” said Paine.
“It is a horrible feeling knowing that you know, our fast bowlers and our spinner bowled their hearts out and gave everything to the team and I certainly feel that I let them down. So I have got to wear that but yeah I am a big boy and I will get another crack at it next week, so move on,” he added.
Paine said that the team was disappointed in not getting the job done despite creating chances but said there were enough positive signs after a crushing defeat in the last match at Melbourne.
“We wanted to win the game and thought we created enough chances to do so. I thought it was an awesome game of Test match cricket. India fought bloody hard like we knew they would. We are disappointed not to get a win but there are good signs for us after the Melbourne Test match,” he added.
'No harm done'
The Australian skipper and India’s R. Ashwin had a bit of verbal duel going on during the innings with the Indian batsman not happy at the chatter from behind when he was getting ready to take the strike.
Speaking about it Paine said: “I think there was just a bit of by-play going on about wasting time. We were getting a bit frustrated, we let him know, and he had a bit to say back. Again, I think it is all part of the game and there's no harm done.”
Paine also praised Rishabh Pant’s innings but said he was not worried at any stage that Australia was in any danger of losing the game.
A great innings
“I thought throughout his whole innings we were creating chances to get him out; we just had to hold one. I thought Lyon was bowling well. He played an amazing inning and some superb shots. We know that he has got that in him and is a huge talent. But we also know he gives you chances and we just had to hold on to one so.”
"I thought it was a great innings. I thought we bowled pretty well to him. We had plenty on the board and knew either we would win or it was going to be a draw,” Paine responded when asked if the knock reminded him of Ben Stokes’ unbeaten ton that helped England beat Australia by one wicket in Headingley last year.
Commenting on the incidents of racial abuse hurled against the Indian players by members of the crowd, Paine said, “It is bitterly disappointing. We have said, you know, Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricket team we don't condone any sort of abuse particularly racial abuse.”
Paine went up and spoke to the Indian players while he was batting on the fourth day when Mohammed Siraj complained about it.
“I just wanted to let the Indian team know that we were with them on that and said it is not condoned by any of us. I am disappointed when that happens when teams come to Australia and we want it to stop. I just wanted to make sure the Indian boys knew that we are also against it and we support them,” he added.
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