Indian fans have been slamming me on social media: Tim Paine clarifies his viral ‘sideshows’ comment

Australia captain Tim Paine on Friday stood by his comment that his team got distracted by India’s “sideshow” but clarified that he didn’t ever intend to use it as an excuse for their home Test series defeat in January.

A day after receiving online flak from Indian fans for his comments, Paine clarified himself while chatting with former Australian wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist in a podcast.

“I was asked a number of things, and one of those was talking about the challenges of playing against India. One of them is the distraction they can create,” Paine said in the ‘Gilly and Goss podcast’ on Friday.