'Captaining for the last time': Legend savages 'hopeless' Tim Paine

Indian cricket great Sunil Gavaskar has continued his extraordinary broadside on Tim Paine after the controversial third Test at the SCG.

Gavaskar was among the strongest critics of the Aussie captain, who has apologised for his unsavoury antics in the drawn Test in Sydney.

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Stump microphones picked up barbs that Australia's skipper directed at India veteran Ravichandran Ashwin during the 122nd over of Monday's stoic batting display by the visitors.

Paine claimed "at least my teammates like me, dickhead" during the spat and mocked Ashwin by asking "how many IPL teams wanted you, when you asked every single one of them to have you?"

The Aussie skipper apologised for his actions on Tuesday, admitting that he had a "really poor game as a leader" and let the pressure of the match get to him.

Gavaskar was scathing of Paine's sledging during commentary for Channel 7, and said on Tuesday that he thought the wicketkeeper's "days as captain are numbered".

In an explosive new attack on the Aussie skipper, Gavaskar tore shreds out of Paine's captaining ability, and suggested the Gabba Test could be his last in charge.

“As a captain, (Paine’s) got no tactical nous at all,” Gavaskar told India Today.

“I mean when you’re having somebody like a Mitchell Starc or a Pat Cummins, with the kind of pace and bounce that they generate, not to have a fielder in the leg gully to Indians who are not very tall, it just tells you that you have no idea about captaincy.

“Because when you fend the ball off around or under your shoulders, the odd ball is going to go up in the air. It happened in the first Test, now again in this Test there were a couple of opportunities, but he didn’t have anybody there.

“Even towards the end when it was clearly obvious that India was looking to save the game and not go and win it, he had a cover, when that man could have been brought in.

“Because even if a boundary had been hit, it wasn’t going to affect the Australians. He could’ve had two men around the corner … and there were a couple of chances that could have been taken if an extra man had been there.

“So as a captain, well, he’s hopeless and he’s probably captaining for the last time in this series from a tactical point of view.”

The India great suggested that while Paine was big enough to admit he'd made a massive mistake in the third Test, it didn't change Gavaskar's view that his questionable tactics cost Australia victory in Sydney.

“If you allow the Indian team to bat 130-odd overs without getting wickets – this is a very good Australian attack,” he said.

“Everything could have made a difference. Paine was more interested in talking to the batsman rather than his field placing and bowling changes.

“So I won’t be surprised if there is a change in the Australian captaincy after the series. He was a little bit disturbed, his concentration was not there after that little episode.”

with AAP

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