5 instances when Australian cricketers got fitting replies for their sledging

Cricket, despite being called as a gentlemen’s game, has often found itself combating the hostilities caused by ugly episodes of sledging, especially considering that the prime intention of such verbal exchanges between players is to distract and present irrelevant cues that interfere with a player’s concentration.

The term ‘sledging’ is as old as the game itself and resembles the times when the legendary W.G Grace was known for his desire to deliver a running commentary on its opponents.  Speaking about its mastery then, undoubtedly the Australians are the sovereign powers of it and also, is a distinctive part of their cricketing culture.

Some of the prominent masters from the realm of this art are the likes of Merv Hughes, Dennis Lillie, Shane Warne and more precisely someone might add the entire Steve Waugh’s Australia. But, time and again, the Aussies, too, have been atrociously made to taste their own medicine.

Let’s have a look at the 5 instances where the hard-nosed Australian sledging got back a fitting response:

1. Virat Kohli to James Faulkner: “I have smashed you enough in my life. Just go and bowl!”

James Faulkner, the Aussie all-rounder, when tried to sledge Virat Kohli, was given a mouth shutting reply by India’s premier batsman. The sledging instance had taken place when the Indian team had toured to Australia for the limited-overs cricket comprising of five ODIs and three T20Is in early 2016.

The identified occurrence had happened in the third ODI match where Virat Kohli was swiftly batting and had reached on to the score of 73 and that is when the all-rounder James Faulkner, in order to disturb Kohli’s concentration, took a jibe by saying some words which got recorded on the stumps mic.

However, Kohli didn’t allow Faulkner to get away and in his response said, “You are wasting your energy. There’s no point.  I have smashed you enough in my life. Just go and bowl!” Kohli, after his response, eventually went to score 117, but despite his hundred, India lost that match.