Paine changes tune to salute vocal Edgbaston crowd

On the eve of the first Ashes Test last year, Australia captain Tim Paine enraged Edgbaston's patriotic supporters by laughing off the suggestion the venue was one of the most intimidating in the world.

"I could name you 15 (more intimidating)," Paine said in bemusement.

The skipper even cobbled together his list of the 15 most intimidating grounds, albeit with a strong representation of club grounds in his native Tasmania, with 'anywhere in India' coming in at No.11.

But, having now had time to properly reflect on just how passionate and relentless the Edgbaston faithful were when he led Australia to a comprehensive 251-run win 13 months ago, Paine says his list might need a rethink.

"It might be in there," Paine said on the latest episode of The Unpayable Podcast, which revisits the events of the fourth Ashes Test at Old Trafford.

"I (previously) played one game at Edgbaston and it was against Pakistan in a T20. "It actually shocked me when (the journalist) asked me that question, and I was like, 'What, this ground?'. Because I'm looking at it, it's tiny, it fits 25,000, I don't think it's going to be that intimidating.

"Then yep, the next day, bang. As soon as we walked out for warm-ups, I was copping it on the way out to the nets.

"But I look back at that now and think 'that was really, really cool to be a part of' because that crowd was absolutely pumping, and they were into us and they were consistent.

"They went for, I won't say five days because you could hear a pin drop on day five, but the first four days they were absolutely relentless and you've got to tip your hat to that kind of support and how they just went and went and went – they did not stop from the first ball to the last ball."

The Edgbaston crowd cheered every single England run and jeered every Australian mistake, and together specifically targeted three of the tourists.

Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft were making their collective comeback to Test cricket following their ban for the events at Newlands in 2018.

Fierce boos welcomed each batter as they walked to the crease and deafening cheers followed them when they walked back dismissed.

Even when Smith completed a magnificent century on day one, and then again on day four, the crowd rained boos down on the Australian to drown out the applause from the visitors' supporters.

The hostility, towards Smith in particular, waned as the series went on and Smith piled on the runs, but at Edgbaston it was nasty.

Smith said he barely noticed the abuse, so focused was he in his own bubble that the crowd did not play a factor.

The right-hander is back in England for Australia's limited-overs tour and lamented the fact there would be no spectators due to bio-security measures.

While it was an uncomfortable environment for Paine and his charges, the captain says he relished the chance to play in such an atmosphere, one he will never forget.

"At the time you think, 'Geez, this is difficult, it's uncomfortable' and now I look back at it and think, 'I would never give that experience back ever again'," Paine said.

"That was something you remember for the rest of your life, the noise that crowd was making, the songs they were singing.

"Being part of a first Ashes Test in England, I think that Edgbaston crowd, the way they went about it and the way they got stuck into us just made it all the more special and have made it a lifelong memory in a good way."