Tim Paine and Ravi Ashwin get into heated sledging match during final day of Sydney Test

Australia captain Tim Paine and India‘s Ravi Ashwin were involved in some heated sledging as the Sydney Test match ended in a draw.

Frustration seemed to get the better of wicketkeeper Paine as Australia’s bowlers toiled in vain for the five wickets they needed in the evening session to claim victory and a 2-1 series lead.

As Ashwin and Hanuma Vihari dug in for what proved to be a match-saving partnership, Paine, who dropped three catches in India’s second innings, aimed a volley of abuse at the batsman – and got plenty back.

Australia captain Tim Paine (left) and Indian batsman Ravi Ashwin (right) got into a heated sledging exchange on the final day of the third Test in Sydney

Paine began the exchange by saying he couldn’t wait to get Ashwin to the Gabba in Brisbane for the decisive fourth Test. Ashwin retorted that he couldn’t wait to get Paine to India

WARNING: STRONG LANGUAGE IN THE BELOW VIDEO 

Referring to Friday’s series-deciding Test at the Gabba in Brisbane, where Australia haven’t lost since 1988, Paine said to Ashwin: ‘I can’t wait to get you to the Gabba, Ash, I’ll tell you what, woo hoo.’

The quick-thinking Ashwin hit back: ‘Just like we want to get you to India. That will be your last series.’

Paine then replied: ‘Maybe. Are you a selector here as well?’

The Aussie skipper then added: ‘At least my team-mates like me, d***head. I’ve got a lot more Indian friends that you do. Even your team-mates think you’re a goose, don’t they? Every one of them.’

Australia’s captain Tim Paine reacts after putting down a catch off Vihari in the next over

Paine watches on at stump as Ashwin gets a hug from his captain Ajinkya Rahane at the end

Ashwin is congratulated by Mohammed Siraj (right) as Paine and Rahane bump fists 

Paine did congratulate Ashwin on his batting efforts at the end with the series heading to a decider at the Gabba on Friday  

At this point, Ashwin had stepped out of his crease to compose his thoughts with spinner Nathan Lyon waiting at the other end to bowl.

‘Tell me when you’re done,’ Ashwin asked Paine.

‘I’ll talk all day, mate,’ was Paine’s response. ‘Wait until you get to the Gabba, pal.’

With Lyon asking what the hold-up was, Ashwin gestured towards him and said: ‘It’s your guy, man, not me.’

Paine couldn’t resist another dig shortly afterwards, saying: ‘How many IPL [Indian Premier League] teams wanted you when you asked every single one of them to have you?’

‘Oh, I’ll come if I’m captain. I’ve played a series in India. Yeah. Can’t remember my average, 60-something.’

Ashwin (left) and Hanuma Vihari batted India to an improbable draw at the SCG on Monday

The pair survived all of the evening session to bat India to a highly unlikely draw on Monday

Australia’s Nathan Lyon appeals unsuccessfully for Vihari’s dismissal on the fifth day

Mitchell Starc sums up a day of frustration for Australia as they only took three wickets

But karma came back to bite Paine pretty quickly as he dropped a catch off Mitchell Starc’s bowling in the next over that would have removed Ashwin’s batting partner Vihari.

In the end, Paine’s three dropped catches proved hugely costly for Australia as they took only three of the eight wickets they needed to win entering the final day at the SCG.

Ashwin dug in with an unbeaten 39 to steer India to stumps alongside Vihari, who ended on 23.  

It leaves everything to play for at the Gabba in the fourth Test, which gets underway on Friday.

It wasn’t the first controversial incident involving Paine in the Sydney Test. He narrowly avoided a ban for dissent for swearing at umpire Paul Wilson on day three.

Paine was left furious on day three when a review decision went against Australia

Australia’s captain was later fined for his sweary outburst at umpire Paul Wilson 

The 36-year-old was fined 15 per cent of his match fee and handed one demerit point by the ICC for his reaction to a review call that went against Australia.

Cheteshwar Pujara received a reprieve in India’s first innings because legside hotspot replays were obscured by Matt Wade ion the field and there was only slight movement on Snicko rather than a spike.

An offside hotspot replay showed no mark on the bat and Not Out was the decision.

The stump microphone picked up Paine saying, ‘he went to hot spot from the offside’ as he questioned Wilson over TV Umpire Bruce Oxenford’s use of the angle.

When told it was not Wilson’s decision, Paine responded: ‘The f**king consistency, Blocker [Wilson]. There is a thing that goes past it [on Snicko].’

Meanwhile, Steve Smith was also caught in the act apparently trying to disturb Rishabh Pant’s batting mark, sparking a furious response from fans.

The stump camera showed Smith walking up to the crease and attempting to rough up Pant’s guard. When Smith returned to his fielding position, Pant, who went on to make 97, was seen asking the umpire for guard. 

Fans reacted with anger on Twitter after Smith’s gamesmanship came to light

The move isn’t illegal under the laws of the game but is gamesmanship and against the spirit of cricket, as many fans pointed out on Twitter.

One wrote: ‘Has Steve Smith learnt nothing about cheating and bad sportsmanship??’

Another posted: ‘Very few teams take so much effort to ensure you keep hating them.’