Reborn Test star Matthew Wade says Australia will be ready for the challenge of bringing down India

Matthew Wade has taken part in two previous Test series against the powerful Indians. But this summer will be the first in his own backyard.

Matthew Wade evades a bouncer from New Zealander Neil Wagner on day 1 of the Sydney Test match in January. Wade knows the Indians will be bringing their own high quality pace attack to Australia. Picture. Phil Hillyard

A REVITALISED Matthew Wade is itching for this summer’s blockbuster showdown against India in what will be his first Test series against the powerhouse away from the sub continent.

The Tasmanian captain, who completed his international resurrection last year with a pair of centuries in the Ashes and was recalled to both the Australian ODI and T20 sides — has played seven of his 32 Tests against the Indians.

However all have been on the road. The first three came in a 2013 and the last four in February-March 2017 after he had replaced Peter Nevill three months earlier.

Matthew Wade (L) stumps India's Karun Nair during the first day of the second cricket Test match between India and Australia at The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore on March 4, 2017. GETTYOUT / AFP PHOTO / Manjunath KIRAN.

Later that year Wade was axed for now Test skipper Tim Paine, but a mountain of runs for the Tigers saw him force his way back into the national side as a specialist batsman.

Now he has his eyes set on the mouth watering four-Test series which will determine whether Australia retains the No. 1 Test ranking it has recently assumed.

“It is going to be amazing, we’ve managed to get back to the No. 1 spot in the world and they are No. 2,” said Wade, who has fully recovered from a knee arthroscope last month.

Matthew Wade bats on day 4 of the Boxing Day Test match between Australia and New Zealand at the MCG. (AAP Image/Scott Barbour).

“I have been lucky enough to play India, but I’ve never played them in Australia, I have played them twice in India which is hard work for an Australian to go over there and play them.

“It is going to be a fierce clash, I watched a little bit of it when they were out here last time and it was on a little bit there as well.

“They are a hard team to play against but something I am looking forward to doing in Australia.”

The battle for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy begins at Australia’s Gabba fortress — where the team is unbeaten in 31 years — before shifting to a pink ball, day-night clash at Adelaide.

While Australia has thrived under lights with a lethal pace attack containing Pat Cummins, Mitch Starc and Josh Hazlewood, Wade is well aware the Indians are also armed with a world-class seam brigade.

“Their pace bowling is a real challenge, it is something they have developed over the last four or five years.

“They have a lot of fast bowlers now and swing bowlers, they will be a real handful under lights.

“We know traditionally that is a really tough place to bat, Adelaide, pink ball, it can nip around quite a bit and swing under lights.

“They are a great team and we are developing all the time, we are starting to get a bit more settled as a cricket team over the last 12 to 18 months.

“We are ready to take on the challenge.”

Originally published as Reborn Test star Matthew Wade says Australia will be ready for the challenge of bringing down India