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• I'd sit on the couch crying - Paine reveals mental health struggles

  Tim Paine has revealed he used to sit on the couch in tears as the Australia Test captain suffered from mental health issues earlier in his career.

  Paine required seven operations after breaking his finger back in 2010, but earned an Australia recall seven years later and took over as skipper in 2018.

  The 35-year-old was on the verge of quitting when he was out of the Tasmania team in 2017.

  Wicketkeeper-batsman Paine has opened up on the struggles he has endured over the years and the doubts he had when he returned to the highest level.

  He told the Bounce Back podcast: "When I started training and playing again I wasn't too bad, until I started to face guys who bowled a lot quicker.

  "And they'd be running in and instead of thinking about hitting the ball, I was thinking: 'Geez I hope he doesn't hit me on the finger'.

  "From there it was just a downward spiral. I lost absolutely all confidence. I didn't tell anyone about it. The truth is, one, I was scared of getting hit and two, I just didn’t know what I was going to do."

  Paine revealed he did not let it be known he was struggling.

  “I didn't sleep, I didn't eat. I was so nervous before games, I was horrible to live with," he added.

  "I was pretty ordinary to my partner, who is now my wife [Bonnie]. I was always angry and took out that I wasn't doing well on other people.

  "I was embarrassed at what I had become. No one knew I was struggling, not my mates, not my partner. There were times when she was at work and I'd sit on the couch crying. It was weird and it was painful."

  Paine said talking to a sports psychologist at Cricket Tasmania helped him to get his career back on track.

  "It was the first time I actually told anyone what was going on, but I remember walking out of that room and instantly feeling better, that I had let someone in and that was the first step to dealing with, admitting I needed help," he said.

  He also found that saying what was on his mind helped him to overcome self-doubt when he was recalled for the 2017-18 Ashes series.

  "It went from an amazing feeling ... and then I thought that's not good," he said.

  "I'm going to have to bat in front of people and there are going to be millions of people watching. And for three or four days after I thought I don't want to do this.

  "Again, spoke to some people and got that stuff off my chest and I thought bugger it, I'll just make the most of it ... I'm going to enjoy it."

• It’s what he does - Phil Simmons has high praise for Holder’s tenacity

  West Indies head coach Phil Simmons believes his captain, Jason Holder’s, 1-43, during England’s second innings was as important as any bowling feats throughout the fourth day.

  The West Indies will need just two wickets tomorrow and attempt to minimize the 170-run lead the hosts have after they were restricted to 284-8.

  The West Indies, leading England by 99 runs at the Ageas Bowl at the beginning of Saturday, were pushed back, as openers Rory Burns, 42, and Dom Sibley, 50, whittled down that lead.

  After lunch, things got worse for the West Indies, who had to remain patient as Zak Crawley, 76, and stand-in skipper Ben Stokes, 46, threatened to take the game away from them, pushing England’s lead in the match to 135 before the latter was removed by a fine piece of bowling from Holder.

  Holder, for the second time, turned Stokes around after just changing the field to include two gullies and had him caught by Shai Hope.

  It’s what he does. He comes back and puts in the big spells for the team.

  Simmons was speaking at the end of day four, highlighting what was a pivotal moment in the West Indies’ second stint on the field.

  England then lost five wickets for 35 runs, as Shannon Gabriel, 3-62, and Alzarri Joseph, 2-40, reduced England to 284-8, a lead of 170.

  “That’s the way he leads this team and I didn’t expect anything different,” said Simmons.

  “He was bowling for a while and you expected him to change but he wanted to make that breakthrough for the team.”

• ‘Normal cricket’ to get the Windies over the line – Phil Simmons

  West Indies head coach Phil Simmons believes if the West Indies play their normal cricket, they will take a 1-0 #RaiseTheBat series lead to Old Trafford, Manchester after their fourth-day exploits on Saturday.

  The West Indies, leading England by 99 runs at the Ageas Bowl at the beginning of Saturday, were pushed back, as openers Rory Burns, 42, and Dom Sibley, 50, whittled down that lead.

  After lunch, things got worse for the West Indies, who had to remain patient as Zak Crawley, 76, and stand-in skipper Ben Stokes, 46, threatened to take the game away from them, pushing England’s lead in the match to 135 before the latter was removed by a fine piece of bowling from Jason Holder.

  England then lost five wickets for 35 runs, as Shannon Gabriel, 3-62, and Alzarri Joseph, 2-40, reduced England to 284-8, a lead of 170.

  With just two wickets needed on tomorrow’s final day, the West Indies are hoping not to have to chase too many and to be given the time to do it.  

  “All you can do is get the remaining wickets for as little runs as possible and then bat normally,” said Simmons at the end of day four.

  “If we bat for five hours tomorrow to chase 180-190 then it is a normal batting day,” he said.

  Simmons is wary of what it may be like batting on a final-day Ageas Bowl pitch though.

  All the batsmen have called the pitch ‘dry’, which could make it particularly difficult on the final day of a Test match.

  “It’s not a chase where you have to go at the bowling. We hope that in the morning, whatever roller is used, will flatten out the wicket so we can get a good start,” said Simmons.

  According to the former West Indies opening batsman-turned-allrounder, the West Indies can take heart from the way they batted in the first innings and that it should give them confidence headed into the final day.

  “I think the confidence from the way we batted, the attitude towards batting in the first innings, is going to be a huge plus for us, batting in the second innings. Whether it be 170 or 190 it is going to be the same attitude that you will need to chase it.”