For once, Mitchell Johnson is amused by Indians; calls Rishabh Pant’s bantering Tim Paine ‘funny’

Rishabh Pant might be having his first-ever tour of Australia but he is enjoying it to the hilt. After Australian captain Tim Paine, who is also his team’s wicket-keeper, sledged Pant while he was batting on Day 3 of the ongoing Melbourne Test, it was Pant’s turn to give it back and the world was loving their trading of banter. Even former Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson, who otherwise is known for expressing strong opinions on the game besides, of course, Virat Kohli, was smiling.

Pant taunted Paine as a “temporary captain” who only knew to talk than doing anything else and that India did not have to do anything to see his back. The 21-year-old’s banter was in response to what Paine had told him on Friday, reminding him of getting dropped from India’s ODI squad for the upcoming three-match series against Australia and invited him to join Hobart Hurricanes, a franchise in the Big Bash League T20 competition in Australia.

Paine took over as Australia captain after Sandpapergate

The 21-year-old Indian wicket-keeper’s taunting his Australian counterpart as “temporary captain” from behind the stumps amused Johnson who tweeted calling it “funny”. Paine took over as Australia’s captain following the ban of Australia’s regular captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner after the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa in March this year and continues to be the captain in the longer format although the reins in the ODIs went to Aaron Finch, who also leads in the T20Is, recently. Paine has struggled as a captain and has managed to lead Australia to just one win so far which came against India in Perth earlier this month.

Pant was also seen involved in bantering Australian batsman Usman Khawaja in the first Test in Adelaide after the latter played a blockathon, saying not all could be Cheteshwar Pujara who hit a match-winning hundred in the game. Paine eventually was caught by Pant in the second innings in Melbourne off the bowling of Ravindra Jadeja as Australia slumped further in their chase of 399 to win.

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