India vs Australia 2nd Test | Matthew Wade sledges "overweight" Rishabh Pant

Melbourne, December 28: Prior to the series, both Indian skipper Virat Kohli and his Australian counterpart Tim Paine had played down the presence of intense sledging in the latest series.

Kohli had said that there could be some fun chat in the series from time to time but nothing would go personal. Australia's opening batsman Matthew Wade and India wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant engaged in some banter on the third day of the third Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Monday (December 28).

During the 16th over of Australia's second innings, Wade talked back at a constantly smiling Pant: "You are 25 kilos overweight. Are you 20 kilos 25 or 30 kilos overweight?" The Fox Sports reported the incident.

The battle continued for the next eight overs with Wade often talking to Pant. "You're looking at yourself on the big screen again? Very funny watching yourself on the screen," Wade retorted to Pant after the latter continued to smile away at Wade.

"He just laughs all the time. He doesn't really say much, he's just always laughing at you," Wade told Fox Cricket as he was walked off the ground for tea. "I don't know what's so funny, it must be my batting," he added.

Kohli had said few words will be uttered by both the teams but without stepping over the line.

"I don't see the kind stuff happening when in the past both team have crossed the line. But still you have to be competitive and it's a competitive sport at the end of the day. We are not expecting the guys to just come in bowl and walk back. Obviously, there are times when you need to put batsmen under pressure, not necessarily crossing the line but to get into their heads which you expect from any side in the world.

"It's going to be there but not at the level in the past where both the teams have lost the control. But it will be there through body language or put in a word or two when you think it is necessary to go hard at an important batsman. But I don't see anything radical happening," Kohli had said ahead of the first Test at Adelaide.