Tim Paine’s man of the match prize against India was his first such international award since 2009. It was fitting Paine received this belated recognition not for a blazing ton, but for a backs-to-the-wall half century.
The Australian Test wicketkeeper has never been an architect of extraordinary innings. He famously went 13 years without scoring a first-class ton and is yet to make a Test century after 32 matches.
Instead, Paine is the cameo king. Few Test batsmen in the world reach 20 as often as Paine – he does so as regularly as Indian star Virat Kohli, England skipper Joe Root and Kiwi gun Kane Williamson.
By this admittedly narrow measure, he is the most consistent Aussie wicketkeeper-batsman in modern history – the percentage of Test innings in which they reach 20.
Tim Paine – 59 per cent
Adam Gilchrist – 58 per cent
Brad Haddin – 50 per cent
Ian Healy – 39 per cent
Peter Nevill – 35 per cent
Matt Wade – 34 per cent
……………………………
Joe Root – 60 per cent
Kane Williamson – 59 per cent
Virat Kohli – 58 per cent
Of course, Gilchrist was vastly superior to Paine with the blade in every possible way. What this above stat illustrates is how often Paine makes a handy contribution.
Tests don’t just hinge on dazzling tons or marauding five-fors. Sometimes, they can be swung by a stubborn 30 or 40, a grafting knock that saps the opposition’s momentum at a key moment.
(Francois Nel/Getty Images)
Paine doesn’t construct Test-defining tons, but he does excel at chipping in. In Steve Smith, David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne, Australia already have three match-winning batsmen. So they don’t need their wicketkeeper to be mercurial with the blade, just reliable.
Paine’s main role is to bat for time. The strength of Australia’s top six, and the generous ability of the side’s tail, means he often can provide tremendous value just by holding up an end.
At this he is gifted. Among the current Test wicketkeepers, only two are more difficult to dismiss than Paine.
Balls faced per dismissal among the current Test wicketkeepers:
BJ Watling (NZ) – 95 balls
Mushfiqur Rahim (BANG) – 78 balls
Tim Paine (AUS) – 74 balls
Mohammad Rizwan (PAK) – 66 balls
Wriddhiman Saha (IND) – 65 balls
Shane Dowrich (WI) – 61 balls
Jos Buttler (ENG) – 58 balls
Quinton de Kock (SA) – 57 balls
Niroshan Dickwella (SL) – 47 balls
Once again, this list doesn’t prove Paine is superior to those wicketkeepers below him. But it does underline how his stubborn batting halts the charge of opposition attacks.
This table also highlights why I consider Watling the world’s most valuable Test gloveman. Not only is he brilliant behind the stumps but the Kiwi drives bowlers to madness with his patience, caution and tight defence.
Watling just edges de Kock, who is the closest thing to Gilchrist in the modern game. Following the retirement of Faf du Plessis, the South African keeper is now his side’s most important batsman.
I have no hesitation in ranking Paine as the world’s third-best Test keeper. Three years ago, I barely ranked him as Tasmanian’s third-best keeper.
When Paine was given a shock recall for the 2017 Ashes, after seven years out of the Test team, I branded his selection a “farce” in this grumpy article for The Roar.
“Tim Paine has a batting average of 19 over the past four Australian first class seasons yet, somehow, he is set to be recalled to Test cricket just weeks away from his 33rd birthday,” I complained.
Nowadays, there’s enough egg on my face to make a humble pie. In those three years since, Paine has arguably been Australia’s third-most influential Test cricketer, after only Steve Smith and Pat Cummins.
During that period, there has been no better Test gloveman in the world, while his batting has been consistent. It is his captaincy which, to my mind, has made him more influential than the likes of Nathan Lyon, David Warner, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc in that time.
Paine was handed a heinously difficult task after the ball tampering scandal.
Australia cricket was at its lowest ebb since the rebel tour to South Africa in the mid-1980s and he, as an ageing wicketkeeper yet to convince many critics, was asked to navigate them to calm and prosperous waters.
Tim Paine (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Now, Australia are the world’s number one Test team. Not just due to Paine’s calm leadership and elite glovework, but also thanks to his constant 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s.
The kind of knocks which don’t leap off a scorecard, and are far more valued within a team environment than outside of it. Paine, undoubtedly, could become much more proficient at capitalising on his regular starts. And, who knows, he may be starting to do just that, even at the age of 36.
Paine is batting better than ever. Not only does he look in fine touch but the numbers stack up – since the start of last summer, he is averaging 40 in first-class cricket.
That includes two Shield tons. Had his teammates stuck around with him at Adelaide, Paine may just have registered his first Test century.
Instead he ended on 73*. There have been very, very few more important Test half centuries by an Australian in the past decade.
At 7-111, trailing by 133 runs in the first innings, Australia looked gone. Had Paine not withstood that immense pressure, we may all have spent the last week dissecting an abysmal Australian defeat, instead of poking fun at the Indian collapse.
Paine is not a spectacular batsman, and he never will be. Instead, he is Australia’s ‘Cameo King’.
Macca
Roar Rookie
He is Mick, second best keeper in the country to Paine with a really impressive Aus A and PM xi record.
Im a Paine fan btw, but he wasnt a very good ODI player, too old school, strike rate of sub 80 as an opener is mediocre whichever way you look at it.
Diamond Jackie
Roar Rookie
It would help if he did the work and analysis that RONAN has done here. But that would require effort , wouldn’t it.
Diamond Jackie
Roar Rookie
I can imagine Carey in his spot. But his time will come. A bit like Gilly and his long wait.
Diamond Jackie
Roar Rookie
Harsh Benny. He was very , very good pre that injury and then he basically disappeared for ten years!
Micko
Roar Rookie
His average should be around 50 or more because he converts more starts into big scores, thus boosting his average. For all his talent he's underachieving at test level.
redbackfan
Roar Rookie
the job is to make runs, is it really better to make 1 big score and multiple failures or be more consistent? I'm not sure. often the big average boosting score is against weak teams/dead rubbers etc
Micko
Roar Rookie
Head is selected as a fulltime batsman, Paine is a fulltime keeper who’s also a handy batsman (as keepers usually are). It seems only fair that Head is scrutinised more (and criticised more) for not converting healthy starts to big scores, since that’s basically his job in the side!
redbackfan
Roar Rookie
interesting Paine lauded for consistency yet head is always bagged for the same thing(doesn't get big 100's etc) I tend to agree with Ronan consistency is a good thing (for both of them). Paine did drop the only difficult chance in the match (diving in front of first slip) so spare me the "great keeper" stuff. bit of luck batting but so did Carey in his odi hundred. we will see re his batting "improvement".
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
True. But Paine captained and led the side to one of the great victories in history.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Couldn’t drs the next ball that mattered in that ashes game because paine wasted a woeful one going down leg side by before it . He wasted or got so many drs wrong it was so costly . A bit harsh on lyon that throw was fast and a tad wide from memory . Many would not be blaming lyon for that loss . Don’t target Gary even though this series wasn’t the greatest he’s had
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Your actually writing about the four players coming back they actually shine and drew the ashes saving paines hide and yet again the same bowling combo last match , not sure paine got much to do with results on that basis
TheGeneral
Roar Rookie
There was no mark on the bat. It showed a hot spot on his gloved finger. Watch the replay. So we lost to India. No Smith and Warner who on average would have added 600 to 800 runs. Might have made a little difference. And don't carry on re the ashes ad nauseam. We would have won that series but for Lyon dropping a return to run Stokes out which would have won the game, instead of Stokes winning the match on his own. Lyon lost us the series.
TheGeneral
Roar Rookie
We have had two overseas tours under Paine. The first was to UAE against Pakistan, the first tests after the SA disaster. We lost 1-0, and no wonder if you look at the team we took. Of the 16 players we took, only Paine, Head, Labs, Lyon and Starc of the current team toured. Oh dear no Smith, Warner, Cummins or Hazelwood. Do you think those four might have made a little difference. And give the English ashes result a rest. The only thing I know is we drew the series, and became the first Australian team to retain the ashes in England since 2001.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Wade right next to the catch . It was kohli you have to challenge given he can punish us and guess what he did just that . Fact was there was also a mark on the bat and snicko so wade heard it . Just because I list facts doesn’t mean I’ll roll over and join the australia pc cricket brigade . Paine has cost us matches with his ineptitude , has lost the only home series to india in Australian history and has not won abroad . A nice gritty bat last innings was good but also lucky as was a sitter on 27 runs and dropped
TheGeneral
Roar Rookie
Paine's 73 no helped win the match. Hence MOTM by all judges. You keep going on about being dropped, that is cricket. Labs was dropped three times, did you criticize him. Also I would guess that 50% of century makers had that slice of luck during their innings. And give it a rest with that DRS decision. None of the commentators thought it was out when it happened. And of course Wade was going to appeal, at short leg that is his job. The replay showed the lightest of touches on one finger. There would have been no noise. Easy to see why they didn't review.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Labuschagne was not the subject of discussion but we can discuss him if you want . You’ll do anything to support timmy even when he bungled an ashes win or another drs costing us 100 runs still yet to win a foreign tour and the only captain to lose to india on home soil ever . Soft five test win ups his stats last summer where you or I could have captained after the opening stands batting first
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Mom is an opinion the match will always be remembered for one of the greatest bowling spells in Australian history
Pierro
Roar Rookie
But fact is it wasn't a match winning innings and he lost 100 odd runs , pretty mixed and should have been out on 27 I think bowling india out for 39 was the clear match winner unless hazel and cummins didn't actually bowl india out in 90 mins maybe I didn't see straight with that 90 mins because we were well behind india before it
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Two bowlers bowled out india for 39 that won the match delusional if you think otherwise due to facts stated general pain lost more runs than he made