Matthew Wade expecting another bouncer barrage from New Zealand in Boxing Day Test
Matthew Wade was called “crazy” for using his body instead of his bat to withstand New Zealand’s short bowling assault, and he’s prepared to wear more bruises if the Kiwis target him again.
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Matthew Wade will keep putting body on the line against another expected short-ball barrage from New Zealand on Boxing Day.
Australian coach Justin Langer called Wade “crazy” after he used his body, not his bat, to deal with a sustained attack of short stuff from Neil Wagner in Perth.
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The Test No.5, however, said it was purely a matter of “risk versus reward” given the stacked leg-side field, a net that caught Aussie run machines Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne.
An extra long break between Tests has helped heal Wade’s bruises, and he couldn’t rule out a similar approach if the Kiwi bowlers went after him again at the MCG.
“It’s an instinctive way you play short-pitched bowling,” Wade said.
“We go out there, see what fields they set. I like to pull as much as anyone else but with the fields — two back, one under your nose — the risk versus reward for me is a little bit too much. I’ll assess when I get out there.
“The way the fields were set, the way they bowled, I would expect no different in this Test.
“Especially with Wagner, we saw the amount of bouncers and short-pitched bowling he bowled last Test so we would expect the same.”
The lack of extra bounce in the MCG pitch compared to Perth could hamper Kiwi plans, but Wade said going back to a red ball could even that out, and give him more incentive to use his bat.
“Our bowlers try and pitch the ball up with the new ball. The chances of getting a nick with that brand new ball is high,” he said.
“They (Black Caps) did exactly the same in Perth, pitched it up, gave it a chance, and then when the wicket flattened out they went shorter. That’s the way it goes.
“Especially Wagner, he’s not a one-trick pony. We saw in the first innings with the pink ball he pitched it up and bowled really nicely, swung it a little bit.
“If there’s not much on offer, I suggest he would go short.
“Pink ball versus red ball could be a little bit different, too. The ball might stay harder for longer and we might get more value for our shots.”
Originally published as Matthew Wade expecting another bouncer barrage from New Zealand in Boxing Day Test