Former India national cricket team medium-pace bowling all-rounder Irfan Pathan opened up about the iconic ‘tongue out’ celebration he did during the IND vs AUS Perth Test, 2008. In an interview with The Lallantop, the former Team India cricketer revealed why he did that iconic ‘tongue out’ celebration, after dealing with the racist remarks he got from the Aussie fans. The incident dates back to the third Test on India's tour of Australia, in Perth, in January 2008. 'Badtameez Aadmi Hai' Irfan Pathan Slams Shahid Afridi As He Reveals Stories Of Sledging With Star All-Rounder During India vs Pakistan Encounters (Watch Video).

During the interview, Irfan Pathan said on the incident of IND vs AUS 3rd Test 2008, “When I was fielding at the boundary line, they targeted me by saying things like, ‘You have eaten Indian curry, you’re smelling like Indian curry.’ The Australian crowd try to get under your skin". Recalling what happened later, Irfan Pathan added, "When I took a wicket, I took my tongue out to indicate that my tongue is very clean and there's no smell. So, that celebration was for the crowd". So, Irfan Pathan's iconic ‘tongue out’ celebration was actually a reply to the Australian cricket team fans, who were making racial slurs at him. Fact Check: Did Irfan Pathan Reveal He Was Removed From IPL 2025 Commentary Panel for Criticising Rohit Sharma? Here's the Truth.

Irfan Pathan's Reply To Australian Crowd:

India went on to win that Test match by a big margin of 72 runs. Team India scored 330 runs in the first innings and 294 in the second. The hosts Australia national cricket team managed to put only 212 on board in the first innings, and 340 in the second, while chasing a target of 413. Irfan Pathan was judged the player of the match, scoring 28 and 46 in his two innings with the bat, and bowling two beautiful spells of 2-63 and 3-54.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 18, 2025 01:24 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).