Paine and Pant’s Stump-Mic Banter All Fun & Games or Bit Too Much?

Should the stump mic stay on or off ?

(Photo: Erum Gour/The Quint)

Video Producer: Sushovan Sircar, Badshah Ray
Video Editor: Puneet Bhatia
Cameraperson: Sumit Badola

The stump-mic chatter between full-time wicketkeeper and part-time babysitter Rishabh Pant and ‘temporary captain’ of Australia Tim Paine has been among the highlights of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

But, the question is, is it a good idea to keep the stump mic on and let it broadcast the sledging between players? Or does it take away from the real cricketing action?

The stump-mic chatter has got more headlines than KL Rahul has got runs in this series. Does the audible chatter make Test cricket more entertaining and will it ensure greater viewership for the longest format ?

Rishabh Pant and Tim Paine’s verbal duels have entertained fans and commentators but it needs to be remembered that the broadcasters’ hashtag for the series is #ChhodnaMat (Don’t spare them), and their promotional videos about the series have revolved around sledging.

If Pant was caught on the stump mic describing Paine as a ‘temporary captain,’ Paine was heard asking Pant if he would ‘babysit the kids’ while he took his wife out for a movie.

Every Border-Gavaskar series has been shaped by some controversy or the other. From Michael Slater’s outburst at Rahul Dravid in 2011 to 'monkeygate' in 2010 to Steve Smith's 'brainfade' in 2017, drama and cricket have rotated strike during the series. Are Pant and Paine only keeping this tradition alive?