India's reported reluctance in playing the fourth Test in Brisbane is beginning to "grind" and test the patience of the Australians with "tension starting to build under the surface", said Australia captain Tim Paine on Wednesday morning.
He said that India's clout in the cricket world has made the Aussies take the threat of the fourth Test being shifted away from The Gabba seriously and created uncertainty over where the last Test of the series will be played.
"It has been an unusually tame start to this series because both teams are just happy at playing Test cricket. There has been such a big break and there is a lot of respect between the two teams, there is no doubt about that...I think it is boiling away, there is some stuff starting to happen, chats beginning to happen," said Paine on the eve of the third Test that gets underway at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
"I think this Test is going to be fascinating, not just from cricket point of view but there is some tension that is starting to build under the surface with a lot of unknown sources coming out from their camp saying where they want to play the fourth Test and where they don't want to go. Yeah, it is starting to grind a few people," he added.
The Australia skipper said that India's apparent reluctance has created uncertainty over the venue of the fourth Test, although the hosts are willing to play wherever it they are told to and following strictly whatever protocols are laid out.
"There is a bit of uncertainty. When you hear things like that coming, particularly from India who we know hold a lot of power in world of cricket, it is likely that it could happen. So for us, we just want to be really clear on this Test match. We know the protocols, we know what is expected of us. We are just going to focus on that this week," said Paine.
"Whatever happens next week happens and we will adapt to it. Again we are not too fussed we are not buying into where the test is being played as far as it is at the Gabba. But as I said in the meeting the other day, I couldn't care less if you rang us up and say that it is in Mumbai, we are going to playa that is how we are looking at it," he added.
The four-match series is currently tied at 1-1 with Australia winning the first Test in Adelaide while India registering a win in the second in Melbourne.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)