cricket

Updated: Feb 17, 2019 09:45 IST

In the lead up to Australia’s tour of India during which the two sides will play five ODIs and two T20Is, legendary cricketers and former rivals Virendra Sehwag and Matthew Hayden have indulged in a bit of a friendly banter in commercials for the tour broadcaster Star Sports.

In the first commercial Shewag is seen babysitting a bunch of children dressed in the Australian cricket livery.

Every baby needs a babysitter - 🇦🇺 and 🇮🇳 would remember this well! 😉



The Aussies are on their way and here's how @virendersehwag is welcoming 'em! Watch Paytm #INDvAUS Feb 24 onwards LIVE on Star Sports to know who will have the last laugh. #Babysitting pic.twitter.com/t5U8kBj78C — Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) February 10, 2019

The advertisement alludes to the on-field banter between Indian wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant and the Australian captain Tim Paine during the recently concluded India’s tour of Australia. To unsettle Pant when he was batting, Paine quipped if Pant would babysit his children while he went out with his wife.

To Sehwag’s tweet, Hayden responded: “#BeWarned Never take Aussie’s for a joke Viru Boy @virendersehwag @StarSportsIndia Just remember who’s baby sitting the #WorldCup trophy.”

I do not want to say 'I told you so' but guess what, I TOLD YOU SO, @virendersehwag! 😜



The Aussies are up for the #babysitting challenge from Feb 24 on Star Sports. 😏 #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/46knNAenlB — Matthew Hayden AM (@HaydosTweets) February 16, 2019

The Australian are the reigning world champions having won the 2015 World Cup at home. Hayden, one of the greatest Test batsmen of all time and who took his game another notch when facing India, on Saturday posted the second installment of the commercial, with the caption: “The Aussies are up for the #babysitting challenge from Feb 24 on Star Sports.”

The touring Australians will play the first of their two T20Is on 24th February in Visakhapatnam before moving to Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium for the second match.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squad for the Australian series on Friday.

Also read: Virender Sehwag offers to take care of education of Pulwama terror attack martyrs’ children

India’s T20I squad: Virat Kohli(Capt), Rohit Sharma (vc), KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni (WK), Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Vijay Shankar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Sidharth Kaul, Mayank Markande