Paine sorry for third Test antics

Australia’s captain has fronted up and apologised for failing himself and his team with his conduct on day five of the Sydney Test.

Tim Paine had a day to forget at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Monday Picture: AFP

Tim Paine has drawn praise for admitting “I was a fool”, and is now focused on nailing a crucial step in his bid to captain Australia in their Ashes defence.

In a dramatic press conference on Tuesday morning, Paine laid himself bare and apologised unreservedly for his behaviour throughout the Sydney Test which, for the first time since Cape Town in 2018, opened his team up to criticism about ‘ugly Aussies.’

Paine’s legacy as an Australian captain will be how he reset the team’s attitude after Sandpapergate and set new standards for on-field conduct.

Watch Australia v India Test Series Live & Ad-Break Free During Play with the Fox Cricket commentary team. New to Kayo? Get your free trial now & start streaming instantly >

The Tasmanian was distressed at how he failed in his leadership at the SCG and conceded his mood was “off” for the entire Test match and impacted on his team’s performance.

All the pressure is on Australia heading into the dramatic decider at the Gabba, given they face the ignominy of losing a second straight Border-Gavaskar series on home soil to a patched-up Indian side that has no Virat Kohli and so many injuries they are almost struggling to field an XI.

In that sense, Brisbane is an enormous Test for Paine.

The 36-year-old will get another contract and will lead Australia to South Africa next month (if the tour goes ahead), but at this stage of his career, every series counts.

Allan Border and Steve Waugh both captained until they were 38, and Paine believes he is capable of similar longevity as a wicketkeeper and a leader.

On Tuesday, he showed the human side that has made him relatable to the Australian public and once again demonstrated he stands for something as a leader.

But so much is on the line at the Gabba for an Australian side desperate for victory.

“I’m bitterly disappointed with the way I went about it. I felt my mood throughout the whole Test match was probably a little bit off. The way I spoke to the umpires early on day two was also unacceptable,” said Paine.

“I’ve got to cop that on the chin. It’s not the way I want to lead this Australian team. It’s certainly not a reflection of how I want to do it going forward.

“I always talk to our players about playing this game on skill and not on emotion and yesterday I fell short of my own standards and expectations.

“I’m bitterly disappointed with that. But at the same time I did a bit of self-reflection and being able to learn from it and being able to move on to the Gabba Test was really important for me.

“I wanted to address that (Tuesday) morning and apologise to our fans and people who heard some of the things I said yesterday.

“It wasn’t good enough and particularly from the leader of this team. I have to cop what’s coming on the chin and really looking forward to getting to Brisbane, bouncing back and playing the game more like Tim Paine plays the game.

“Yesterday was a poor reflection of that and not something that I want to be known for.”

Paine refused to blame India’s time-wasting tactics, stump mics, bizarre ICC rules that allowed match-saver Rishabh Pant to sub in and out of the game as he pleased for his attitude.

The Daily Telegraph