India vs Australia 5th ODI: Need to score runs to be picked, says Mathew Wade

Mathew Wade may have scored his maiden ODI century earlier in the year but has scored less than 30 runs in subsequent ODIs. (Source: AP)

Australia’s performance throughout their limited overs tour of India and the preceding Test tour of Bangladesh made them the subject of much criticism. Wicketkeeper Mathew Wade has, in particular, has been criticised for his performances with the bat. He may have scored his maiden ODI century earlier in the year but has scored less than 30 runs in subsequent ODIs.

“There is no point sitting up here and thinking about what has already happened,” Wade said on the eve of the fifth ODI to played at Nagpur. “My form with the bat has not been good enough. The selectors have told me that I need score runs if I need to be picked.”

India had won the first three matches of the series to seal the win before losing the fourth match in Bangalore. Wade, despite being the only specialist wicket keeper in the squad, was left out for the second ODI and brought back for the third. Wade remains confident that his performances behind the stump may not have been a subject of scrutiny as much as his batting was. “I thought I kept quite well in Bangladesh, I know there was lot of talk especially during the first Test with the number of byes I conceded. But if you look at their keeper [Mushfiqur Rahim conceded 22 byes] and given the conditions I thought we were quite similar. I felt in the second test especially, I took some good chances. I have been pretty good here, on the back of India where I felt I kept quite well. Selectors have told me there have been no concerns with my keeping. They just want me to score more runs.”

Wade also stated that he is pretty confident of convincing the selectors of his value in the squad. “A lot has been made about me failing in the Bangladesh and couple of times here. But before I played in India I was batting really well. I would have liked to score more runs in this series but that’s not happened. If I think back to the way I was batting in India [during the Test series] I played quite well. It is not panic stations yet and I know what I have to do.”

Wade’s last chance at making it to the squad that plays England in the Ashes come November would be a good show in the upcoming domestic first class season in Australia. He will be turning up for Tasmania in the 2017/18 season and admitted that his peformance for them would be “crucial” for his chances. “I’m not worried about the matches, I have to score runs any time I have to go bat. I have to score runs regardless of if I’m trying to score runs for the Ashes or getting picked for Australia or whoever I’m playing for at the time. Doesn’t faze me, I have been doing all the hard work it just hasn’t happened for me yet,” said Wade.