'I was given the dirty job during my career. Ganguly, Tendulkar, Dravid...': Ex-India keeper on sledging Australians

We are never too far from a few words here and there, a long stare, a witty sledge or even the one with a temper when India and Australia face each other in a Test series. It is one of the most well-contested and heated rivalries in the modern era. The first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Nagpur was a bit of an exception in that regard. The action on the field was top notch but there were not a single episode where the Indian and Australian players exchanged a few words. In fact, Virat Kohli, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith and others were involved in multiple friendly conversations involving laughter and giggling. Smith was criticised for showing thumbs up to Ravindra Jadeja at least twice after getting beaten.

Things, however, might change from the second Test in New Delhi as Australia will be desperate to turn the tables after being thrashed by an innings and 132 runs in the series opener. Ahead of the second match, former India wicketkeeper-batter Nayan Mongia, who is no stranger to India-Australia battles, recalled how he used to tackle sledging episodes.

Remembering the historic Test match at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata in 2001, which India won after following on, Mongia said players like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman and Anil Kumble showed aggression with their game. They used to silence the Australians.

"It is part and parcel of the game. It gets the best out of you. We enjoyed it on the ground. But as long as you are performing, nothing matters. They are silenced when there is performance. That is what players like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul

Dravid, VVS Laxman, Sehwag, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Mohd Azharuddin and Sourav Ganguly did in their careers. They were legends of the game. To share the dressing room with these players was a privilege. It was a great learning experience. If you remember the famous 2001 Kolkata Test, the Indian team showed a lot of character and self-belief in silencing the Australians. We had that aggression then and we expressed it through our performances," he told The Playfield Magazine.

When asked about his role in sledging, Mongia said he was given the "dirty work" as was the keeper.

"I never used to give it back. But I used to smile. Of course, as a wicketkeeper, I used to say a few words. I was given the dirty job sometimes during my career. One needs to understand when to sledge or when not to. If you keep sledging against players like Steve Waugh or Brian Lara, they become more determined. So, at a certain time, you need to keep quiet. Sledging is an art and it should be used very subtly. The wicketkeeper is in the best position. He can understand the mood of the batsman. Wicketkeepers also play a crucial role in giving advice to the captain and the bowler," he added.

The Gujarat man who represented India in 44 Tests and 140 ODIs said the legendary Steve Waugh, Matthew Hayden and Glenn McGrath were the master sledgers among Australians

"For Australia, I would say players like Steve Waugh, Matthew Hayden, Gilchrist, McGrath who were good at sledging. They had the knack of disturbing a player’s concentration. They used to work as a team. But it was great fun. Some of the sledges were very funny."