Former Test captain Tim Paine says Australians look tired

Australia has already played five Tests ahead of the final Ashes showdown and a former skipper has concerns.

A three-day break before the fifth and final Ashes Test may not be enough for the Australians to bounce back from their Manchester horror, with former captain Tim Paine claiming the tourists look “really tired”.

Two days of rain helped Australia salvage a fourth Test draw and retain the Ashes despite being dominated by England, who smashed the bowlers to all parts as captain Pat Cummins recorded his worst bowling figures of 1-129.

England captain Ben Stokes said his team “totally dominated” Australia at Old Trafford and the home team’s momentum could carry them to a series-equalling win at The Oval, as happened in 2019.

Cummins is the only bowler to have played not only all four Ashes Tests but the World Test Championship final as well, effectively playing a full five-match series already heading for a sixth.

While he smashed any notion Cummins could step down as skipper after the Ashes, Paine was concerned about how much the Australian bowling attack, with Mitchell Starc also hurting his shoulder in Manchester, could have in the tank for the final showdown.

“What worries me, not just about Pat but also with Starcy (Mitchell Starc) going into the fifth Test, is they both look really tired,” Paine said on Monday.

“Not just looking at them with their body language, I thought the speeds of their bowling (were an issue). When Patty is bowling low 130s (km/h), I think that’s a concern. Starcy had something wrong with his shoulder from diving, there was talk he might have had a sore hamstring.

Mitchell Starc hurt his shoulder in Manchester, (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP) /

“The next Test match is so crucial, you would want both of those fit. When it’s starting on Thursday, it is a concern.

“Pat is going to play his sixth Test in six or seven weeks, which is a huge workload just for a bowler alone, but then you put on top of that the mental stress and fatigue of captaining a side in a big series and the scrutiny he’s under every day. It’s probably something he hasn’t had to deal with so far in his Test career.

“He is obviously a huge key for us winning the fifth Test, but we need him at his absolute best. When he can’t get a rest, he can’t get away from it, it’s difficult for him both physically and mentally.”

Paine said he would be “staggered” if Cummins, who was heavily criticised for his team’s bowling plans and field placements in Manchester as England racked up a first innings of 592, stood down as captain after the series.

Australia can still win the series 3-1 at The Oval and Paine, who was captain in 2019 when a fourth-Test victory secured the Ashes and led to a flat loss in the final match, said Cummins and his team still had plenty to play for.

Tim Paine holds the Ashes urn at The Oval in 2019. Picture: Glyn Kirk / AFP

“I remember we lost The Oval Test and that was a hollow feeling. Losing a Test and then actually having to go on stage and try to force a celebration was difficult,” he said on SEN.

“This one they’ve still got an opportunity (to win). They will feel like they’ve got out of jail for two reasons – one, they get away without losing that Test, which looked likely, and two, they get another crack at it.

“In 2019, we had to get on a plane and go home, so we didn’t get a chance to get rid of that feeling. This group will get that.”

The fifth Test at The Oval starts this Thursday.