Matthew Wade aware of pressure to end dismal batting form
Matthew Wade, who has failed to perform with the bat in the ongoing series, has stated that he is aware of the need for some runs under his belt to keep his place in the side. The wicket-keeper's performance is under severe scrutiny since he has failed to take his opportunities thus far.
Matthew Wade played his debut match in 2012 and earlier this year, scored his maiden ODI century. Till now, the 29-year-old has played 93 ODIs for Australia and scored 1757 at an average of 25.83. Currently, he is the only specialist wicket-keeper in the Australian side but the selectors chose Peter HandscombĀ to keep wickets for the third and fourth ODIs in the ongoing series against India. This could have been interpreted as a warning, and Wade confirmed as much.
"There is no point sitting up here and thinking about what has already happened," Wade said on the eve of the Nagpur ODI as quoted by PTI.Ā
"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.
"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 was the part of the playing XI who played in the fourth ODI in Bengaluru, but he only faced three balls as the visitors' innings ended atĀ 334/5 in 50 overs. In the first and second ODI of the series, he failed to reach double-digits as he scored 9 and 2 respectively.
"They will be crucial for my chances. I'm not worried about the matches, I have to score runs anytime 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," the wicketkeeper-batsman said.
Before visiting India, the Kangaroos played two Test match series against Bangladesh and in the two Tests,Ā he could only manage to score just 17 runs in three innings but he insisted that behind the stumps he hasĀ done good work.
"I thought I kept quite well in Bangladesh, I know there was