Latest news with #TimPaine
Indian Express
a day ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
Washington Sundar: The new monk, who stood unconquered at Manchester
The celebrations were understated for someone who completed his first Test hundred; and for someone who rarely gets the chance to reach the landmark. A shimmy for a single, short sprint to mid-on, a calm unfastening of the helmet and a wave of the bat with a face as cold as stone. There was no roar, no smile or even a grin of relief on Washington Sundar's face. It was an extension of his batting as well a reflection of his personality, monkishly imperturbable, not prone to excessive outpouring of emotions, in both good and bad times. The only streak of over-excitement in his career was verbal faux pas on the fourth evening of the Lord's Test when he averred that India would wrap up the chase of 192 before first session on the final. It gloriously backfired, to almost the hue of Tim Paine's 'See you in Gabba taunt'. But he was quickly over it and played a defining role in the game. He was India's sharpest bowler in the game, and he was the face of India's defiance on the fifth day. Then he is not a stranger to acts of tenacity. Take some of India's most memorable Test matches in the last four years, he had been there, in the eye of a storm, in the heat and heart of the battle. In Brisbane first innings, on debut, he gritted 62 off 144 balls, laying the foundations of his country's most memorable hour this decade. There are several other priceless but forgotten knocks — 85 not out on a Chennai turner, 96 not out in Motera, the 42 in Birmingham in the first innings. Even the 22 off 29 cameo in Brisbane had its own value. But unless the scorecards are forked out, footages rewatched the contributions don't strike, or the strokes he essayed flash on the mind's eye. Partly, it is down to his demeanour, self-effacing to a fault. He is that boy next door cricketer you bump so frequently in the maidans and streets. The boy who does everything, bat, bowl and field, without making a fuss about it, neither making it look ridiculously simple nor elaborately laborious. He is the name you pause in a scorecard, or ponder and forget. What-a-TON Sundar! 💯 Grit. Determination. Dominance. Held the fort till the very end, a maiden test century to cherish forever! 🙌🏻#ENGvIND 👉 5th TEST | Starts THU, 31st July, 2:30 PM | Streaming on JioHotstar! — Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 27, 2025 Unless he is in the middle of winning or saving a game, which he often finds himself in a Test match. It's something of an occupational hazard when batting down the order. In 22 innings, the highest he had ever batted is at No. 5 — in this very innings, necessitated by Rishabh Pant's injury. The most familiar number has been eight (11), closely followed by seven. He has once batted at six and thrice at nine. But No 9 or 5, he remained just the same, as much as unexcited as unfazed. The enormity of the moment did not crush him. He marked his guard with a faint smile that masked whatever nerves that boiled inside his head. He bunted a pair of runs straight away and then offered a blunt broad bat for the next half an hour. He is one of the few Indian batsmen in recent times who has shown the fading art of batting time. He is rarely edgy or jumpy, always behind the ball, sparsely attempting a flashy stroke, even though he first struck acclaim as a T20 gun for hire. Nothing is careless, impetuous or wasted. He has a full array of strokes, but he knows perfectly when, where and how to use them. He judges, and seizes the moments. On Sunday, it came when Ben Stokes started barraging short balls around the 110th over. By then he had faced close to a hundred balls and just to unsettle Stokes and prompt him to a different plan of attack, he got under one nailed a fierce pull over deep square leg for a six. Memories would have rolled back to 2021, when he clumped Pat Cummins for a similar six in the Gabba chase. Like when tall batsmen pull, there was an awkward elegance about it. The next ball was nailed through the same area to defang Stokes. The over before, the England captain had produced a spiteful bouncer at Ravindra Jadeja, who somehow scrambled to safety. A decisive but mini battle was thus won. Soon after, India wiped England's lead and the confidence swelled that they could escape the game without a humiliation. He was largely in control, and when he was not, he ensured that the good balls didn't haunt him. Archer made a ball leap into the splice of his bat in the 92nd over. Liam Dawson made one spit from the rough. England sniffed a moment when they could burst through the resistance of India's last recognised pair. He then thick-edged Dawson after misreading the drift, he wafted thin air when Archer snapped a ball past his stab. He survived the storm, and lived to tell the tale. The knock could be the one that would finally make the audience begin appreciating the traits that make him a valuable member of the eleven. He is a deluxe cricketer most teams would covet. A proper Test batsman and off-spinner, the fight and grit masked beneath his boy-next-door charms.
United News of India
20-06-2025
- Sport
- United News of India
Paine appointed Australia A head coach
Melbourne, Jun 20 (UNI) Former Australian Test captain Tim Paine has been appointed as the head coach of the Australia A men's team for the upcoming season, Cricket Australia announced on Friday. Paine's coaching tenure will begin with a home series against Sri Lanka A, scheduled to take place in Darwin from July 4. This marks the 39-year-old's first major assignment in a coaching capacity since his retirement from professional cricket. Having led Australia in 23 Tests between 2018 and 2021, Paine is widely credited for stabilising the national side during a challenging transition period following the ball-tampering scandal. His appointment to the Australia A setup is seen as a key move in nurturing the next generation of Test cricketers. Australia A will play two four-day matches and three 50-over games against the visiting Sri Lanka A side, as part of the developmental pathway for future international prospects. UNI BDN GNK
India Gazette
20-06-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
Former Test captain Tim Paine named Australia A coach for three series
Canberra [Australia], June 20 (ANI): Former Baggy Greens Test captain and current Adelaide Strikers coach Tim Paine has been appointed Australia A coach for three series in the second half of this year, according to ESPNcricinfo. The former wicketkeeper batter has been hired in a consultancy role, including working across the Australia A men's series, supporting the Australia women's team, and balancing his Strikers coaching duties in the Big Bash League. Paine will sit at the helm when Australia A engages in three 50-over matches and two four-day games in Darwin against Sri Lanka A in July. He will also lead an Australia A squad on a tour of India in September and October for all-format matches. Paine is also expected to coach in a one-off four-day game against the England Lions, which is expected to take place in late October or early November. In recent years, the 40-year-old has been an assistant coach with Australia A and various development teams. Paine worked under Adam Voges when the Perth Scorchers and Western Australia coach led Australia A during a multi-format home series against New Zealand in 2023. Paine also served as an assistant coach under CA's national development coach Lachlan Stevens last season when Australia A hosted India A. He took up the mantle of head coach of the Prime Minister's XI when they faced India in Canberra. According to ESPNcricinfo, Stevens has left his role with Cricket Australia, and Paine will come in to fill his place to coach Australia A against Sri Lanka A with support from new national pace bowling coach Adam Griffith, Australian women's team assistant coach Scott Prestwidge and Northern Territory Cricket's Pathway and Development coach Trent Keep. Griffith has been sent to the Caribbean to serve as the stand-in bowling coach for the first two Tests against the West Indies because Daniel Vettori is set to miss the whole tour due to family reasons. Former wicketkeeper Matthew Wade will join Australia's coaching staff as an assistant for the T20Is in the Caribbean. He previously worked as a consultant coach for Australia's white-ball series against Pakistan. (ANI)
Business Recorder
20-06-2025
- Sport
- Business Recorder
Former skipper Paine appointed Australia ‘A' coach
SYDNEY: Former captain Tim Paine has been appointed coach of the Australia 'A' team for this season with the country approaching a transition to a new generation of players as a handful of test stalwarts near retirement. Paine has worked in the media along with occasional roles with the Australia women's team and 'A' programme since hanging up his bat in 2023 but will now give up his radio show to concentrate on his new job. 'It's time to spread my wings,' Paine told listeners on SEN radio on Friday. 'I've been working with Australia 'A' as an assistant coach and the opportunity has come up for me to be the head coach. I feel like it's a hard balancing act to pursue a coaching career and talk in the media. 'The Australia 'A' programme is very exciting, there's a lot of young talent to work with. It's something I really enjoy doing. I'm very lucky and I'm really looking forward to the next part of my journey.' Australia could lose as many as half a dozen test regulars to retirement after this year's Ashes series with the likes of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja all in their mid to late 30s. Australia drop struggling Labuschagne for first West Indies Test Cricket Australia said Paine would continue to help out with the women's team as well as with his coaching role at the Adelaide Strikers Big Bash League team. Paine took over as test captain in the wake of the Newlands ball-tampering affair in 2018 and led Australia to the retention of the Ashes in England in 2019, only to resign before the 2021-22 series after a sexting scandal.
The Hindu
20-06-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Former skipper Tim Paine appointed Australia ‘A' coach
Former captain Tim Paine has been appointed coach of the Australia 'A' team for this season with the country approaching a transition to a new generation of players as a handful of Test stalwarts near retirement. Paine has worked in the media along with occasional roles with the Australia women's team and 'A' programme since hanging up his bat in 2023 but will now give up his radio show to concentrate on his new job. 'It's time to spread my wings,' Paine told listeners on SEN radio on Friday. 'I've been working with Australia 'A' as an assistant coach and the opportunity has come up for me to be the head coach. I feel like it's a hard balancing act to pursue a coaching career and talk in the media. The Australia 'A' programme is very exciting, there's a lot of young talent to work with. It's something I really enjoy doing. I'm very lucky and I'm really looking forward to the next part of my journey.' Australia could lose as many as half a dozen Test regulars to retirement after this year's Ashes series with the likes of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja all in their mid to late 30s. Cricket Australia said Paine would continue to help out with the women's team as well as with his coaching role at the Adelaide Strikers Big Bash League team. Paine took over as Test captain in the wake of the Newlands ball-tampering affair in 2018 and led Australia to the retention of the Ashes in England in 2019, only to resign before the 2021-22 series after a sexting scandal.
