Ashes opener win just the start for Australia’s Paine
He was adamant he had no problems receiving tactical advice from either Steve Smith or David Warner, both still banned from official leadership positions.
Australia’s Pat Cummins (3rd R) and Australia’s players celebrate after England are bowled out on the fifth day of the first Ashes cricket Test match between England and Australia at Edgbaston in Birmingham, central England on August 5, 2019. – Australia beat England by 251 runs to win the first Ashes Test. England, set a target of 398 to win, collapsed to 146 all out on the last day. (Photo by Lindsey Parnaby / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. NO ASSOCIATION WITH DIRECT COMPETITOR OF SPONSOR, PARTNER, OR SUPPLIER OF THE ECB
Australia captain Tim Paine insisted there was no danger of his side getting carried away with their win over England in the first Test as the tourists would only be satisfied with an Ashes series success.
Paine’s men went 1-0 up in the five-match contest with a 251-run thrashing of England at Edgbaston on Monday.
England, set a mammoth 398 to win, slumped to 146 all out with off-spinner Nathan Lyon (6-49) and fast bowler Pat Cummins (4-32) sharing the wickets between them.
But Steve Smith was named man-of-the-match for his twin centuries in the former captain’s first Test since he completed a 12-month ban for his role in a ball-tampering scandal in South Africa last year.
Smith’s 144 in the first innings took Ashes-holders Australia to 284 all out after they had slumped to 122-8 and his second innings 142 helped Paine declare on 487-7.
This was Australia’s first victory at Edgbaston in any format since 2001 and it is also 18 years since they last won an Ashes series in England.
“You’ve got to keep a lid on it,” said wicketkeeper Paine, dramatically thrust into the captaincy after Smith was stripped of the role following the fiasco during a Test in Cape Town.
The incident also saw David Warner and Cameron Bancroft — who both made Test returns at Edgbaston — hit with lengthy bans as well.
“There’s still four Tests to go and we aren’t here to win the first Test at Edgbaston –- we’re here to win the Ashes,” he added.
“We’ve been really clear on that for some time. We’re obviously happy to win the first Test. It’s a huge step in the right direction, but we’re certainly not satisfied with that.
“We’re over here to do something that a lot of teams from Australia have struggled to do,” he added.
“And we realise that if we can do it will be spoken about for a hell of a long time, and that’s what is driving us.”
There were times in Birmingham when Smith, still banned by Cricket Australia from an official leadership position, appeared to be directing operations in the field as well as earning yet more comparisons with Test batting great Don Bradman while he was piling on the runs.
But Paine was adamant he had no problems receiving tactical advice from either Smith or Warner, formerly Australia’s vice-captain.
“It certainly helps,” said Paine.
“They’ve got things they’ve learnt through experience that other people don’t have or don’t know. We’d be foolish not to tap into that.
“They’ve still got a huge presence in our dressing room, there’s no denying that.”
For more sport your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.
