5 times Indian cricketers gave perfect replies after being sledged

There was a time when Indian cricketers did not believe in sledging and were happy to ignore verbals being thrown in their direction. However, in recent decades, things have changed quite drastically. Indian cricketers are not afraid to give it back, irrespective of who the opposition is.

In the 1980s and 90s, former India all-rounder Ravi Shastri was seen as someone who was always ready to indulge in some kind of banter with the opposition. In the last few years, star Indian cricketers like Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin and Rishabh Pant have been happy to have run-ins with the opposition. The Indian cricket team's recent tours to Australia and England have had their fair share of sledging battles.

Over the past two to three decades, there have been some iconic instances where Indian cricketers have replied to being instigated by making either their bat or ball talk. Let’s take a look at five instances when Indian cricketers gave perfect replies after being sledged.

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#5 When Ganguly silenced Broad

Indian cricketer Sourav Ganguly and England's Stuart Broad engage in a "discussion".

During the sixth ODI of the seven-match series in England in 2007, India were set a stiff target of 317 after Owais Shah struck a hundred at The Oval. The visitors, however, got off to a brilliant start as openers Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly added 150 for the opening wicket.

As the partnership was building, England’s bowlers grew increasingly frustrated. Pacer Stuart Broad attempted to unsettle Ganguly by nudging him to play a stroke. Things got a bit heated between the two and the umpires had to step in to calm things down.

Ganguly, however, did not take kindly to Broad’s provocation. When the England pacer came on to bowl the next over, he clobbered him for a six over his head in emphatic style. Broad eventually dismissed Ganguly for 53, but India went on to win the contest by two wickets.

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#4 Sreesanth’s iconic six off Nel

Andre Nel (left) and S Sreesanth during the 2006 Johannesburg Test.

S Sreesanth’s six off Andre Nel during India’s tour of South Africa in 2006 is one of the most iconic moments in Indian cricket. The Kerala speedster was high on confidence after getting a five-fer in the first innings, which saw South Africa being bowled out for 84 in response to India’s 249.

Nel, however, was keen to bring some excitement into the contest. Although India were in firm control of the Test, he decided to have a go at Sreesanth. His sledge went as follows:

“I can smell blood. You do not have the guts. “I am playing for this (showing his emblem on the shirt). You are a scared fellow. I will get you next ball.”

Not one to back out of a fight, Sreesanth, in Ganguly-style, slammed the next ball from Nel over the bowler’s head for a maximum. He then displayed his dancing skills and waved him bat to prove his point in no uncertain terms.

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#3 Harbhajan Singh gives it back to Shoaib Akhtar

Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh and Pakistan's Shoaib Akhtar have a go at each other.

During the India-Pakistan Asia Cup 2010 clash in Dambulla, tempers were running high, as they often do when the two arch-rivals meet. Pakistan put up a challenging 267 batting first and India came up with a solid response as the match went down to the wire.

On the last ball of the penultimate over, Shoaib Akhtar bowled a brilliant bouncer, which Harbhajan Singh tried to pull but missed. “The Rawalpindi Express” gave Harbhajan an earful, but the "Turbanator" also gave Akhtar a piece of his mind.

India needed seven to win in the last over and Harbhajan hit the winning runs by clobbering Mohammad Amir for a maximum over midwicket. Immediately after lifting his team over the line, the batter looked in the direction of third man, where Shoaib was fielding and let out a victory roar.

The Pakistani pacer made a V-sign and then followed it up with an irreverent wave of the hand.

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#2 Flintoff provokes Yuvraj, Broad pays the price

Andrew Flintoff and Yuvraj Singh during the 2007 T20 World Cup.

During the inaugural T20 World Cup in South Africa in 2007, the Indian cricket team stood out for their fearless attitude and ability to deliver under pressure. In the group stage clash against England in Durban, these qualities were on show in abundance.

As India batted first and looked set to put up a big score, a frustrated Andrew Flintoff started having a go at Yuvraj Singh. As it often happens, things got a bit ugly between the two and the umpires had to intervene to calm down the situation.

Unfortunately for Broad, he was yet again on the receiving end of an angry Indian batter, and this time he wasn’t even the instigator. A fired-up Yuvraj went all out against Broad and clobbered the pacer for six sixes in an over.

Flintoff, Broad and the entire England team were stunned. They did commendably well to fight back with the bat, but ended up losing by 18 runs.

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#1 Venkatesh Prasad sends Aamer Sohail packing

Venkatesh Prasad and Aamer Sohail’s famous face-off during the 1996 World Cup.

When it comes to the perfect riposte in Indian cricket, nothing can, perhaps, beat Venkatesh Prasad’s send-off to Aamer Sohail in the 1996 World Cup quarter-final in Bengaluru. Chasing a target of 288, Pakistan openers Saeed Anwar and Sohail got their team off to a commanding start.

Having got his eye in and looking in firm control of proceedings, stand-in Pakistan skipper Sohail provoked Prasad after hitting a boundary. He pointed his fingers at the bowler and made a gesture using his bat, suggesting that he would hit him for another boundary in the same direction.

Prasad did not say a word but ran in and knocked back the left-hander’s off stump on the very next ball. The usually calm Prasad then gave the Pakistani batter a fiery send-off that remains a YouTube favorite among Indian cricket fans more than 25 years later.

Pakistan completely lost their way in the match after Sohail’s (55) dismissal and were knocked out of the 1996 World Cup following a 39-run defeat.