After escaping their first series loss to Bangladesh in Test cricket, Australian cricket team will once again be tested on spin-friendly pitches in India as they play a five-match ODI series starting on Sunday. After being criticised for his performance with the gloves against Bangladesh, Matthew Wade has received support from former wicketkeeper Brad Haddin ahead of the first ODI against India in India.
“One thing I think that happens at the end of a subcontinent tour because you stand so close and you have some extreme conditions, when you go back home your rhythm is as good as it’s ever going to be. Over here it tests your technique and the one thing I’ve noticed is he’s trusting his technique, perhaps more than he’s done previously,” he said.
According to Haddin, who is currently Australia’s fielding coach, Wade will benefit from spending, even more, time on the unpredictable pitches in the subcontinent. “I think when he gets home he’ll enjoy the natural bounce of the Australian wickets because he’s had some extreme conditions and I think he’d handled himself well” Haddin said.
Wade was being criticised for his performance with both bat and gloves in the just-concluded Test tour of Bangladesh, where he conceded 22 byes and managed to score 5 and 4 respectively. Haddin, who has played 66 Tests including 10 in the subcontinent, said that critics failed to properly acknowledge the conditions Wade faced in Dhaka and Chittagong.
“I don’t think people took into account how extreme the wicket was. I thought he had some extreme conditions to deal with, some that I can’t really remember having to deal with (when I played). On one occasion a ball rolled and he had to stop it with his foot and the next ball bounced straight over his head,” Haddin concluded.
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