"Too bad they fell for it"- Deep Dasgupta on Tim Paine's 'sideshow' comments

Deep Dasgupta came up with a blunt response to Tim Paine's 'sideshow' comments. Paine claimed his team was distracted by the possibility of the visitors not travelling to Brisbane for the final Test due to the strict COVID-19 regulations, a game which the hosts lost by three wickets.

Dasgupta observed that India never released an official statement about not going to Brisbane. The former wicketkeeper instead slammed Australia for losing the series against an injury-depleted Indian team.

"If there was no official statement what were they taking about and what are they talking about, who were they listening to. So, basically they messed it and lost after 30-plus years at Gabba; they lost back-to-back series to India without Indian team not having quite a few players available for that game. It's their fault to take their eyes off the ball.

The 43-year-old added that he has never known an Indian team that believes in sideshows to distract their opponents.

"I don't think India played any mind game to be honest. I find it really amusing he has to bring this up now, and I mean just too bad they fell for it. I don't think I have ever heard of an Indian team playing mind games and sideshows," Dasgupta told Sports Today.

Earlier, Tim Paine's comments raised a few eyebrows when he said the hosts were taken aback by India's mind games.

"The classic example was when they said they weren’t going to the Gabba, so we didn’t know where we were going. They’re very good at creating these sideshows, and we took our eye off the ball,” Tim Paine had said recently in an interaction with Fox Sports.

Tim Paine reflects on being outplayed by a disciplined and tough side.Congratulations, India! 👏#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/vSbYVvZIM2

— ICC (@ICC) January 19, 2021

The controversy arose when some reports suggested India may have to undergo quarantine on reaching Brisbane.

Expectedly, India were unhappy with such developments, and there were some counter reports that suggested the visitors may not travel to Brisbane if they had to go through another round of quarantine.

However, the matter was sorted out, and the final Test match went through as scheduled at the Gabba.

"Most of it I deserve" - Tim Paine on facing criticism from Indian fans on social media

Almost 6 months on, poor old @tdpaine36 is still copping heat from Indian fans... and these are just the ones I’m tagged in! pic.twitter.com/2SqmNa6jcO

— Brent Costelloe (@brentcostelloe) May 13, 2021

Tim Paine's 'sideshow' comments earlier spread like wildfire on social media, and Indian fans brutally trolled the Australian captain for coming up with excuses after being outplayed by a depleted Team India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Paine, though, took the criticism in his stride and said that he deserved all the trolling and criticism that has come his way.

Tim Paine and co. will next be in action in the longest format of the game when they host England in a five-match Ashes series, which is scheduled to start in Brisbane on 9 December.