5 Australian cricketers Indians love to hate

#3 Michael Slater

Michael Slater aggressively defended a non-existent catch in 2001.

You just don’t sledge Rahul Dravid. The New South Wales born Michael Slater, however, thought otherwise. In what was described by Peter Roebuck as “Slater’s moment of madness”, the former Australian opener foul-mouthed Dravid after a dubious catch in a Test at Mumbai in 2001.

The incident occurred when Dravid pulled a short ball towards Slater, positioned at square leg, who caught the ball after it bounced just short of him. While Slater vehemently claimed the catch, Dravid stayed put at the crease, waiting for the decision from the third umpire.

Even after the decision was turned in India’s favour, Slater continued his banter, closing in on Dravid and pouring his anguish out. Dravid remained calm, hardly flinching from Slater’s unnecessary onslaught.

Slater later apologised, but his crude act will forever make the Indian fans remember him as the guy who tried to sledge one of the nicest men in the game.