Australia still work in progress, feels Tim Paine

THE SKIPPER SAID THAT THE JOURNEY SINCE LEADING THE SIDE HAS BEEN A LEARNING CURVE, AS AUSTRALIAN CRICKET IS COMING OUT OF A PERIOD OF STRIFE.

MELBOURNE: Buoyed by the comprehensive victory in the second Test, a cautious Australian skipper Tim Paine believes that his inexperienced side has the potential to get ahead of India but are still a work in progress.

The third Test begins in Melbourne on Wednesday with the four-match series levelled at 1-1.

“I don’t feel like we are on top of them. We feel like we are getting better with every Test,” Paine said on the eve of the Boxing Day Test.

“We are improving with every game but we need to keep stacking up good days and play good Test cricket. If we can do that for the next 4-5 days I think we will be in the thick of it again,” Paine said.

“Certainly when you have an inexperienced team and you get a big win like in Perth against the number one team in the world, guys are going to grow in confidence a little bit and come to Melbourne feeling better than when we did to Perth,” the skipper said.

India have made three changes for the Boxing Day Test with Mayank Agarwal, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja replacing openers Murali Vijay, KL Rahul and pacer Umesh Yadav but Paine is not bothered about changes in opposition rank.

“India’s changes don’t really bother us because we have done our homework on all of their players for a number of weeks now. We have been prepared for all of them to play. What they do is their business, and we will keep focussing on what we are doing,” Paine said.

The skipper added that the journey since leading the side has been a learning curve for him, even as Australian cricket is just starting to come out of a period of strife.

“I haven’t changed a lot. I came into the team and into the job at a time when I have already been through so much as a cricketer and a person. I am bit older than most guys to come back into the scene so I have had a bit more life experience and happy being myself. That’s how I have kept it and so far it is working out okay. No need to change,” he said.

As is the norm, Australia named their playing eleven with Mitchell Marsh coming in the side replacing Peter Handscomb.

Paine said the change would help the four-bowler attack, and added that Handscomb could be back for the Sydney Test.

“We did it last year during the Ashes as well and majority of this decision is based on the fact that it will be hot and the bowlers have had a big role play.