An exemplary fighting spirit thoroughly highlighted in their batting display on Day 5 saw India eke out a remarkable draw in the 3rd Test against Australia. 

With 97 overs to play and eight wickets in hand, India managed to keep Australia and a certain defeat at bay to keep the four-match Test series evenly poised at 1-1.

Despite facing an opponent that had a battered and bruised batting line-up, further weakened by the notable absence of their regular captain and best batsman Virat Kohli, a full-strength Australian bowling attack failed to overcome the resilience of the opposition batsmen. 

The frustrating draw further saw the hosts earning a lot of flak from the fans on social media.

Paine can't shut his gloves or mouth in time #AUSvIND

Australian captain Tim Paine, in particular, was at the centre of the criticism for his on-field exploits. If dropping three crucial catches on Day 5 cut him a sorry figure, the fact that Paine was involved in an unwarranted banter with Ravichandran Ashwin further dented his reputation on social media.

A day later, the Australian captain, realising his mistake, rendered an apology for his conduct at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) during a virtual press-conference on 12th January. 

"I'm human, I want to apologise for the mistakes that I made. I'm someone who prides themselves on the way I lead this team and yesterday was a poor reflection," Paine was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.

© AP

"My leadership wasn't good enough, I let the pressure of the game get to me. It affected my mood and then from there affected my performance. I said to our players yesterday 'I've had a really poor game as a leader'. I let our group down," he added.

Paine to Ashwin
I can’t wait to get you to the Gabba.
Just like you want to get to India? Maybe your last series.
Are you a selector here as well? At least my teammates like me,dickhead. (Wade’s) got more Indian friends than you. Even your teammates think you’re a goose. #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/LsLYnbMxAL

Frustrated by the ever-growing partnership between Ashwin and Hanuma Vihari on Day 5, Paine had resorted to sledging in a bid to get under the skin of the Indian off-spinner who had his own clinical response for the Oz skipper. 

Talking about his conversation with Ashwin after the draw, Paine said: "I told him 'I ended up looking the fool, didn't I?'. You open your mouth and then you drop a catch. We had a bit of a laugh about that".

Paine was also fined 15 per cent of his match fee for showing dissent over an on-field umpire's call. He was found guilty of breaching Article 2.8 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel.

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