7 instances when Australian sledging was met with a fitting response

Kohli asks Faulkner to go and bowl (Image Credit – Fox Sports)

Australian cricketers over the years have been masters of the dark art of sledging. On many occasions, they have managed to unnerve opposition players by giving them a mouthful, particularly when they are out fielding.However, the Aussies have not always managed to have the last laugh as they have received many fitting responses to their acts of sledging from players of different countries. While on quite a few instances the response came verbally, sometimes the response was also given by the bat Let’s take a look at 7 memorable instances when Australian players got back what they threw at the opposition:

#1 Virat Kohli to James Faulkner: \"I\'ve smashed you enough in my life. Just go and bowl!\"

Kohli asks Faulkner to go and bowl (Image Credit – Fox Sports)

Among the best responses to Australian sledging in recent years was given by India’s Virat Kohli to Australian bowler James Faulkner on India’s recent limited-overs tour to Australia. During the 3rd ODI, Kohli was batting brilliantly and had just moved on to 73 after taking a single off a Faulkner delivery.

In an attempt to rile up Virat Kohli, the bowler had a few words to say to the Indian champion. However, Kohli was not going to allow Faulkner to get away with it and responded with some brilliant words of his own. He said, “You're wasting your energy. There's no point. I've smashed you enough in my life. Just go and bowl!”

Virat Kohli backed up his words with the bat as well as the next delivery from the left-arm pacer disappeared to the fence. The master batsman scored 117 eventually, but India lost the match.

#2 Ian Botham to Rodney Marsh: \"The wife is fine, the kids are retarded though.\"

Sledging in the Ashes is a very common thing and the Australians are, more often than not, the aggressors. However, the Englishmen have not been far behind as well and have given it back to the Aussies whenever they could.

During the 1982/83 Ashes series in Australia, great England allrounder Ian Botham came in to bat and Rod Marsh welcomed him by asking, “How’s your wife and my kids?” Although Botham did not take too kindly to this personal attack, he kept his calm and replied, “The wife is fine, the kids are retarded through.”

It was one of the finest examples of tackling sledging tactics with a straight face and remains among the most memorable sledging instances in cricket history.

#3 Virender Sehwag to Michael Clarke: \" Which dog breed do you belong to, Pup?\"

No one sledges Sachin Tendulkar, especially when Virender Sehwag is around. There are at least a couple of memorable instances in Indian cricket which prove this point and one of them came, not surprisingly, against the Australians.

During the 2003/04 Border-Gavaskar Trophy played in Australia against Australia ‘A’, Sachin came in to bat after receiving a long treatment for back spasms in the Indian dressing room. A young Michael Clarke got after the legendary Indian batsman by telling him to go as he was too old to bat to which Sachin did not respond, as expected.

However, Sehwag walked up to the Aussie, asked him his age and told him to stop bothering a great who has more centuries than his age. When Clarke did not refrain, Viru taunted him by asking which dog breed he belonged to, since his teammates called him ‘Pup’.

#4 Daryll Cullinan to Shane Warne: \"Looks like you\'ve spent a lot of time eating\"

It is not unknown to many that South Africa’s Daryll Cullinan was one of Shane Warne’s biggest bunnies during his career. And quite obviously, Warne seemed to be very well aware of this fact.

In a Test match between their respective teams, Cullinan came in to bat at the fall of a Proteas wicket and Warnie teased him by saying, “I’ve been waiting 2 years for another chance at you.” The South African batsman may not have been at his best with the bat against the leggie, but he certainly beat him in words by responding, “Looks like you’ve spent that time eating!”

This is surely one of the funniest replies that a cricketer from another country has given to an Australian players.

#5 Ravi Shastri to Mike Whitney: If you could bowl as well as you talk, you wouldnt have been the 12th man

Perhaps one of the best responses to Australian sledging was what Ravi Shastri did to Australian quickie Mike Whitney on India’s 1991/92 tour to Australia. In one of the Tests, Whitney was the 12th man and came on to the field as a substitute fielder.

Shastri hit the ball towards the Aussie and tried to push for a single but refrained from it. Moments later, Mike Whitney quipped at Shastri to stay in the crease or else he would break the lanky batsman’s head.

Ravi Shastri was never one to let it pass even during his playing days and responded, “If you could bowl as well as you talk, you wouldn’t have been the 12th man”. It was quite an exceptional feat at the time as Indians were not known to hit back at sledging back then.

#6 Rahul Dravid to Steve Waugh: \"Who\'s dropped the Test now?\"

When it comes to sledging, legendary cricketers Rahul Dravid and Steve Waugh are quite easily two opposite sides of the coin. While Waugh has an almost iconic status in the sledging business, Dravid is known not to have voiced his opinion too much on the field.

In the epic 2001 Kolkata Test though, the Indian legend gave a rare response to a comment by the senior Waugh. During Australia’s run chase on the final day, Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly managed to drop a sitter off Steve Waugh’s bat and the latter suggested that he may have dropped the Test.

However, minutes later, Waugh lost his wicket and as he was about leave the pitch, Dravid said to him, “Who’s dropped the Test now?” The Australian shook his head in disbelief and walked off the field.

#7 Virat Kohli responds to Mitchell Johnson with the bat

Kohli hammered Australia out of the T20 World Cup

There have been a number of times when players have responded to the Australian sledging with the bat in hand. The most recent such instance came in the match between Australia and India in the ongoing T20 World Cup when Virat Kohli replied to Mitchell Johnson’s sarcastic tweet prior to the match by pushing his team into the semis.

At a pre-match press conference, Kohli had spoken about how he thrives more when opposition like Australia try to put him off by sledging. A retired Johnson, however, quickly pointed out in his tweet about the Indian batsman’s failure in the 2015 ICC World Cup semi-final. His tweet said, “Love it!! Went missing in WC semi last yr when it really counts”

Virat Kohli did not have anything to say in response but his bat did all the talking as an unbeaten 82 from him ensured that Australia crashed out of the ICC T20 World Cup 2016 and India progressed to the semi-finals.

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Edited by Staff Editor