“Three more years”: Ian Healy backs Tim Paine to continue leading Australia in Tests

Ian Healy backs Tim Paine: The former Australian wicket-keeper batsman expects the current Test captain to continue for a while.

Australia Test captain Tim Paine gained numerous accolades for scoring a match-winning half-century in the first innings of the recently concluded pink-ball Test against India in Adelaide.

In what was his eighth half-century in the format, Paine scored 73* (99) with the help of 10 fours to take Australia from 79/5 to 191/10. Such an innings from a No. 7 batsman predominantly means batting with the tail-enders which in itself is a stern challenge.

Paine, who has scored 1,403 runs at an average of 33.40 including eight half-centuries, has the second-best average for a Test Australian wicket-keeper batsman – only behind the legendary Adam Gilchrist (47.60).

Ian Healy backs Tim Paine to continue leading Australia in Tests

In a recent interview with The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, former Australia wicket-keeper batsman Ian Healy has backed Paine to play for “quite long” given his physical fitness. Predicting Paine to lead for three more years, Healy felt the 36-year old player is bound to reap rewards of a massive “cultural revolution”.

“I’m expecting him to play for quite long because he started so late – and it looks like he’s in great shape physically and doing it well. He’s got a job to do so that will keep him interested, keep him motivated to get that Australian side on top again and in the hearts of Australians.

“He’s led a massive cultural revolution, which has got to be draining, so I don’t have a problem if he does surprise me and finish before I reckon he will because he’s taken on so much, but I think he’s about to reap the rewards and enjoy it a lot more. I’ve got no problems saying three more years,” Healy, who represented Australia in 119 Tests and 168 ODIs, said.