Ashes 2019 | I'm proud of the way I soldiered on in the last few years, reveals Matthew Wade

Returning after a two-year break from international cricket following underwhelming performances in the all-whites with Australian crest, Matthew Wade seems to be finally on track to fulfilling his potential. His Test record hasn’t been good enough considering the prowess he has shown in domestic cricket, as he only averaged 20 and had managed to make 22 appearances since his debut in 2012 for the Kangaroos. But that was before the ongoing match and the scenario seems to be changing now.

"Time in the middle is everything for a batter so I certainly felt that my game is at a stage where I could perform at this level. It's as confident as I've been coming into a Test match, that's for sure," Matthew Wade was reported saying by Cricbuzz.

His selfless century on Sunday was only his third in Tests but it had a certain edge to it that had been lacking in the past. With skipper Tim Paine’s spot in the tram cemented as the wicket-keeper, Wade decided to focus on his batting and the results have been spectacular. More than 1,000 runs in the domestic season in red-ball cricket followed by multiple centuries for the ‘A’ team was a reflection of how beneficial the move has been for him.

"I'm probably at the age now where I know my game better than I did and playing as a specialist batter makes a difference as well. It takes a lot of pressure off you. You can chill a little bit more in the field. You're not concentrating for that long stretch of time like you do as a wicketkeeper. I've found that really good for my game over the last six, eight months," Wade explained.

The 31-year old has also matured mentally, with him not letting his first innings failure bog him down in pursuit of success in the second innings.

"I'm confident in my game and if it doesn't work, I still feel that on my day I'm good enough to score runs and I'm not chasing my tail as much as I did when I was a younger player. I back my game now. You've got to tinker a little bit here and there but I certainly don't change too much," he revealed.

Perhaps the most iconic rivalry in Test cricket, it is every cricketer’s dream from the countries to score a century in the 100-year-old tradition that is the Ashes. And now that Wade has achieved the feat against the Duke ball, it will take him some time to completely register it.  

"It probably hasn't sunk in just yet, first Test match of an Ashes series and it play was a dream come true, let alone to contribute what we're hoping will be a win in the first Test. It probably won't sink in until after the game or maybe a few days when we're playing a tour game in a few days. But I'm proud of the way I soldiered on in the last few years, not knowing if I'd get another opportunity," Wade concluded.