A “classy touch” by Ajinkya Rahane in the post-match presentation after the Gabba Test might actually have been a way to inflict more pain on Nathan Lyon, according to a certain section of Twitter users.
Moments after India retained the Border-Gavaskar trophy with another series win in Australia, the team won large swathes the internet over with their seemingly giant-hearted gesture towards Nathan Lyon, the Australian spinner who was playing his 100th Test match.
In the post-match presentation ceremony, Ajinkya Rahane, the stand-in skipper, presented Lyon with a signed shirt. “From the Indian team, we’d like to give Nathan Lyon a signed jersey for playing 100 Tests,” Rahane announced at the ceremony, calling for Lyon to come and collect the memento.
Class from Ajinkya Rahane 🙌#SpiritOfCricket #AUSvINDpic.twitter.com/F3XDt8RaqX
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) January 19, 2021
While the gesture earned appreciation in the main, Cricket 365 editor Dave Tickner had his suspicions about the event and shared it on a Twitter thread.
Can’t stop thinking about this, about how brilliant it is, and about how wonderfully well it’s worked. An absolutely top-drawer piece of alpha shithousery and every media outlet responding with “Classy touch 👏 👏 👏” https://t.co/9f3K3c8Htc
— Dave Tickner (@tickerscricket) January 19, 2021
Tickner wondered why Lyon was given the signed shirt in front of everyone rather than inside the dressing room, especially after India had won the Test and series with Lyon underperforming. The Australian off-spinner finished with nine wickets in the series while averaging 55.11 with the ball and never got to 400 Test wickets, a landmark he was expected to breeze past.
Then there’s Rahane summoning him to collect it when he obviously doesn’t want to. Respect for Rahane through the roof here.
— Dave Tickner (@tickerscricket) January 19, 2021
The “Classy touch” would just have been to give it to him in the rooms. This is shithousery ingeniously masked as classiness. Which is brilliant in and of itself.
— Dave Tickner (@tickerscricket) January 19, 2021
Winning the series was quite good too, I suppose.
— Dave Tickner (@tickerscricket) January 19, 2021
The tweets spread like wildfire as a large number of users shared that similar thoughts had crossed their mind.
I love how he has to break up his walk of shame with an additional clap, just to fill the awkwardness.
— Andrew Miller (@miller_cricket) January 19, 2021
This thread reveals how finely in tune Rahane and Indian think tank is with Aussie psychology, well played. Death by thousand niceties. https://t.co/t5hjHNP3bh
— Murthy Arelekatti (@murthyavn) January 19, 2021
I hadn’t thought of it this way, but the more time I spend on this thread, the more it seems likely. https://t.co/gi0l4V29gT
— Ajit Yadav (@bloggeray23) January 19, 2021
You wouldn’t blame Lyon at all for muttering some really rude words as he got back to his team-mates.
— Will Macpherson (@willis_macp) January 19, 2021
To make it worse he finished the series on 399 😂😂😂😂 https://t.co/3GnDeftY5c
— GuerillaSquad (@anubhavsarker) January 19, 2021
Very hard to separate which is the funnier: Mrs Ashwin noising up T Paine or the brutal champing of Nathan Lyon by giving him the commemorative shirt. Both so, so enjoyable.
— Alan Tyers (@alantyers) January 19, 2021
I LOVE the little pat on the arm at the end. It’s like Nathan has won a competition and come up to get a prize.
— Alan Tyers (@alantyers) January 19, 2021
I’m torn on this. On the one hand, undeniably childishly funny if they’ve all just written “BALD” or “4th INNINGS BOTTLEJOB” on it. But it does lessen the magic of the faux innocent “classy touch” element.
— Dave Tickner (@tickerscricket) January 19, 2021
I’m sure he’ll treasure it… https://t.co/1r0nI5ASvF
— Scott Redler (@RedDog7T3) January 19, 2021
