'A bit boring' – fielder Paine prefers being back behind the stumps

Matthew Wade stood behind the stumps during Australia's three-day tour match against Worcestershire that ended on Friday, 9 August, while Paine patrolled the field, either calling out instructions from mid-off or finding himself near the ropes, able to chat with the support staff.

The move was intended to keep the captain fresh, while also giving second-keeper Wade some practice should his services be needed during the rest of the Ashes. Paine, though, was clear about what his preference generally is: "I didn't really enjoy it, it was a bit boring," he said.

The stint only convinced Paine of how much being a wicket-keeper helps him as captain. "People have said in the past that being a wicket-keeper and a captain might be a disadvantage. Now that I've done it a bit more, I see it as more of an advantage," he explained.

As a fielder, he said, "You don't see what the ball is doing ... I found it a little bit harder in this game, when you can't see exactly what's happening. You're relying on other people's information a lot."

But, from behind the stumps, he gets a better understanding of conditions. "I can see ball movement, see or feel when a bowler's getting tired from the way he's hitting my gloves," he said. "I can see exactly where a batsman is moving to, or what mark he's batting on and stuff like that.

"It was nice to have a bit of a spell from wicket-keeping but I'm looking forward to getting back behind [the stumps]."

The tour game finished in a draw after three sessions were lost to rain on the final day. Travis Head made a hundred for the visitors in the first innings, while Usman Khawaja and Marcus Harris struck half-centuries.

Australia lead the five-match Test series 1-0 going into the second match at Lord's, starting 14 August.