Perth: Captains Virat Kohli and Tim Paine continued their verbal duel during the fourth day of the ongoing second Test between India and Australia here.

During Australia's second innings on Sunday, both the skippers exchanged words. Kohli and his teammates made a loud caught-behind appeal for Paine in the final over of the day. And it started off.

"If he messes it up, it's 2-0," Kohli said, which was picked up by the microphone.

Paine did not hold himself back either and replied "You've got to bat first, big head".

It did not end here. And the captains resumed verbal volleys on Monday too.

As the two teams returned for day four of the Test with Usman Khawaja and Paine at the crease, Khawaja scored a half century, and helped take his team’s lead past 200.

The Indian captain was back at it, trying to distract Paine. Another set of verbal exchanges between the two players followed as Kohli came in Australian counterpart’s way during the first session.

“Why are you getting riled up?” Virat could be heard saying on the stump mic, to which Paine replied saying, “I’m fine”.

The umpire was then forced to intervene, telling the captains ‘to play the game’. “You guys are the captains,” he said.

Star-spinner Nathan Lyon had played down the incident on Sunday.

"I think Tim just asked him where he was going for dinner that's all. I've played enough cricket against Virat to know what he's like, and I'm not worried about what he's doing or what India's doing," said Lyon.

"Virat is a great player, he plays on emotion, we all know that, and to be honest I'm not too concerned how Virat reacts or the way he conducts himself. I'm just worried about what we can control in the Australian dressing room and I thought as bowlers we came out today and performed pretty well," he added.

Kohli’s on-field antics did not go down well with former Australian players Mike Hussey and Allan Border even though he was being his usual animated self.

"Kohli is out of control... I don't like his attitude at the moment," Hussey was quoted as saying by Macquarie Sports Radio.

Former captain Border told Fox Cricket: "I don't think I've ever seen any captain carry on like that."

Australia were all out for 243, setting a target of 287 for Kohli and Co.