Tim Paine reveals Australia 'Love to Hate' Virat Kohli, shrugs off the Indian skipper

With India-Australia series nearing closer, heat between two squs is alrey visible as Tim Paine has alrey shrugged off Men in Blue captain Virat Kohli as 'just ar player'.  Australian Test skipper has remarked that he does t have a relationship with Kohli but y 'love to hate' him. Paine and Kohli will square off in first Test of Border Gavaskar Trophy in December after which Indian skipper will return back for birth of his child. 

“I get asked a log of questions about Virat Kohli, he’s just ar player to me it doesn’t really bor me. re’s t really a relationship re with him to be fair, I see him at toss and play against him and that’s about it,” Paine told ABC Sport.

“With Virat it is a funny one, we love to hate him but we also love to watch him bat as cricket fans. He certainly is polarising in that of scenario. We love watching him bat, but we don’t like seeing him score too many runs," he ded. 

Reflecting upon rivalry between India and Australia and on-pitch banter between two in 2019, Paine remarked that its a 'heated competition' and he is a 'competitive person'. "re were a few occasions when we h words but that wasn’t because he was captain and I was captain, it could have been anyone," Paine said. 

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India tour of Australia 

India will kick off ir tour to Australia with a three-match ODI series starting on Friday, 27 vember, followed by as many T20Is and four Tests. T20Is will be played in Canberra (4 December) and Sydney (6, 8 December). 

first Test will be a day/night affair, from 17-21 December at elaide Oval. Melbourne Cricket Ground (26-30 December) will host Boxing Day Test, before action moves to Sydney Cricket Ground (7-11 January) and Gabba (15-19 January). With India currently on top of World Test Championship table and Australia in second, series is expected to be a thriller, as it will also be a part of ICC World Test Championship. 

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Crowd to be allowed for Test series 

Confirming presence of fans for Test series during India's tour, Cricket Australia on Tuesday anunced that 50 per cent of stium's capacity will be open to crowd for elaide Test, set to be played from December 17 onwards. Test at elaide Oval, which will also be first day-night Test between India and Australia, will feature nearly 27,000 spectators amid COVID-19 crisis. Tests series is also expected to be first series to witness live crowd after COVID outbreak, due to which all matches are being played behind closed doors. 

Meanwhile, most significant Test of year - Boxing Day test - will open stands to only 25 per cent of its total capacity, as sanctioned by Victorian government. On or hand, fourth Test at Brisbane might witness up to 30,000 people with 75 per cent of total capacity being open for crowd.

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