Virender Sehwag Mathew Hayden
IANS Matt Roberts/Getty Images

Virender Sehwag had started the battle and the 'babysitter' has been annulled by an inflammatory reply from Down Under by Mathew Hayden. 

Sehwag, a seasoned campaigned and hero of many a fight knows it indeed is a battle if the opponent is Australia because Mathew Hayden has hit back at him in no uncertain terms. Recently, Sehwag collaborated with Star Sports to do an advertisement promoting the upcoming series between India and Australia.  

In the ad, Sehwag can be seen babysitting a whole host of kids wearing the Australian jersey. Here the former cricketer exclaims how an army of kids has come. He then tells the camera that in the recently concluded Test series between the two sides in Australia, an Indian was asked to babysit. His reply – come home, we will babysit all your kids.   

Seems like the ad did manage to get the required response as the former Aussie opener has come up with a reply saying they are the real babysitters. Hayden said so while reminding Sehwag that his countrymen are currently babysitting the World Cup trophy as Australia is the defending world champion heading into the upcoming quadrennial event. 

Hayden's reply caught the attention of Twitterati who were eager to find out who'd win this battle of the openers. 

The concept of babysitting, it must be said, has been borrowed from the Aussies and the joke had quite the hilarious introduction. During India's second innings in the third Test in Melbourne, Australian Test captain Tim Paine had a few words with Indian wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant. 

"Tell you what big MS is back in the one-day squad. Should get this bloke down to Hurricanes (BBL team Hobart Hurricanes). They need a batter. Fancy that extend your Aussie holiday, beautiful town Hobart too... get him a waterfront apartment. Have him over for dinner. Do you babysit? I can take my wife to the movies while you watch the kids."

Pant, on his part, hit back at Paine and called him a special guest when the Aussie wicketkeeper came out to bat. Paine was called a special guest because Pant said that he had never seen a "temporary captain" in his life before that incident. 

The two players seemed to have taken the banter in the spirit of competition and did not let things get bitter. The best moment of this exchange came when the two teams met the Australian Prime Minister at his residence. Here, Pant and Tim's wife clicked a photo with the Paine kids. 

Rishabh Pant Tim Paine Bonnie Paine
Tim Paine's wife Bonnie Paine with Rishabh Pant.Bonnie Paine Instagram

 Australia will come down to India to play two T20Is and five ODIs starting on February 24.