Australia failed to clinch the Ashes 2019 trophy as hosts England won the fifth Test to level the series 2-2. A few days after the match, Australia skipper Tim Paine has now revealed that he and Peter Siddle suffered injuries during the final match but kept playing, bearing the pain. Paine, who scored 1 and 21 in the two innings of the match, revealed that he played with a broken thumb, which he sustained "towards the end of the Test". Paine, however, didn't specify whether he suffered injury on his left or right thumb.
"My thumb was broken towards the end of that Test but it is not displaced, so I should be right to get back into training early," Paine was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.
Under Paine's captaincy, Australia managed to retain the Ashes urn away from home for the first time in 18 years.
Paine commended all the players who put the hard work throughout the series. Paine was all praise for Siddle who kept bowling throughout the match despite a hip injury which he suffered on Day 1 of the final Test at the Oval, London.
"Peter Siddle tore a hip flexor bowling on the first morning," Paine said.
Siddle, who was picked in the side for the final Test ahead of Mitchell Starc and James Pattinson, received string criticism from the fans and the pundits. Paine, however, called Siddle "a warrior" for what he did for the team was "heroic".
"He has copped a bit of criticism for not bowling as well as he we know he can, but the team knows just how heroic he was. A lot of other people wouldn't have bowled again in the match, but he pushed on because he didn't want to leave Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins to do extra work. He's a warrior, Sidds, and we love him deeply for that," Paine said praising Siddle.
Paine and Siddle both will get a plenty of time to recover from their respective injuries as Australia do not play any Test cricket until November 21.