Tim Paine, the former Australian cricketer, recently admitted that he used to feel annoyed when people advised against sledging Virat Kohli, the Indian cricket star. Paine and Kohli engaged in some heated verbal exchanges during the 2018/19 India tour of Australia, which marked India's first series win Down Under.
Paine explained that sledging Kohli didn't necessarily affect his performance, as the Indian captain would still manage to score runs regardless. While Paine didn't actively try to provoke Kohli, he did attempt to distract him in the hopes of disrupting his concentration and prompting a mistake.
Reflecting on the sledging incident in the Amazon documentary, The Test, Paine revealed that he initially refrained from engaging with Kohli while he was batting. However, after witnessing Kohli taunt his teammates, Paine decided to stand up for himself and his team by engaging with the Indian captain.
Paine acknowledged that Kohli thrived on confrontation, so he opted to subtly provoke him rather than escalate the situation into a physical altercation. Despite Paine's efforts, Kohli still managed to score a century in Perth during that series.