Australia A captain Alex Carey insists that his team was trying against India, after copping a withering blast from iconic Aussie skipper Allan Border.
Border branded Australia A's performance on day two of the just-concluded tour match "an absolute disgrace", saying "they gave up" as India was allowed to dominate proceedings.
Carey copped a direct spray, with Border saying: "If Alex Carey is in line to be an Australian captain, he has got a lot of work to do for me. He has gone down quite a few pegs.
"He is a good cricketer Alex Carey, he has got a bit of energy himself, but yesterday he should have reacted to the way the general feel around the team was."
Carey responded on Sunday as his team salvaged a draw from the three-day fixture.
"I love talking to the greats that have been in Australian cricket and picking their brain, and one of Australia's best captains and players… I'd love to have a chat to AB," Carey said.
"I guess personally being out there, the attitude wasn't bad. We were trying. [But] I'd absolutely like to sit down and chat to AB for all parts of my game.
"I highly respect Allan Border and if he sees that, I guess you take a bit out of it.
"The way we responded today was outstanding. Last night was difficult, they had two set batters and Rishabh [Pant] the way he played … we've also had a lot of injuries the last couple of days."
Carey is Australia's limited-overs wicketkeeper and considered a lock to replace Test captain Tim Paine when he gives up the gloves. He made 32 and 58 with the bat against India, as most other batsman crumbled around him.
However, his long-vaunted captaincy credentials appear to have taken a hit for now. He was without all-rounder Cameron Green as Pant and Hanuma Vihari scored centuries on day two, after the young star was struck on the head while bowling during the first innings, while Sean Abbott went down with calf tightness.
Potential Test debutant Mitchell Swepson, the in-form leg-spinner, copped a second innings pasting from India, with figures of 1-148. Border said that he was "butchered" by India and that he would not pick him for a touted appearance in the third Test at the SCG.
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