Gilly's keeping faith with wicketkeeper Matthew Wade

TEST great Adam Gilchrist has intervened to snap Matthew Wade's dose of early career blues and says the young keeper will become a rolled-gold star behind the stumps.

Matthew Wade

TEST great Adam Gilchrist has intervened to snap Matthew Wade's dose of early career blues and says the young keeper will become a rolled-gold star behind the stumps.

Two costly errors from Wade in South Africa's first and second innings afforded match-savers Faf du Plessis and Graeme Smith reprieves in Adelaide.

Wade, 24, was livid with his second Test display but Gilchrist rebooted the six-Test custodian this week in Perth, arguing the keeper's self-flagellation wasn't warranted.

"I had a really good chat with him at Aussie training," 96-Test superstar Gilchrist told The Advertiser this week.

"He was disappointed and I think being unduly hard on himself about the game he had."

Gilchrist was almost four years older than Wade when he made his Test debut against Pakistan in 1999 and said powers of concentration improved over time.Victorian Wade deserves latitude in a first international summer at home after replacing 43-Test veteran Brad Haddin - still in white hot form for New South Wales with two tons this season.

"I think that is a huge step-up in class, when you get to international cricket and everything that encompasses," said Gilchrist of Wade, who cleanly accepted an edge from debutant Dean Elgar off Mitchell Johnson yesterday at the WACA.

Even national selector and former Test keeper Rod Marsh was called "Iron Gloves' after missing chances early in his 96-Test career.

"Everyone can rest assured Matthew is taking on board any experience he has got to try and improve and he will do exactly that," Gilchrist said.

"He is learning, the more you play at higher level the better you will get."

Gilchrist said Wade should be applauded for standing up to the stumps to the Australian pacemen despite the missed catch off Ben Hilfenhaus that allowed du Plessis to survive another 99 balls, post a ton and secure a remarkable second Test draw for the South Africans.

"Don't bag him for being up at the stumps, that is part of a tactical game where you are looking for anything that might put a batsman off. On the last day that catch off du Plessis was a 50-50 at best, either in or out."

Wade also fumbled a stumping off Smith on 46 before he posted his 122 in 244 balls in Adelaide.

But Gilchrist said Wade, who made 106 against the West Indies in April, would flourish in coming years.

Gilchrist says there will be days like that for Wade with Australia having to ride the bumps with a young keeper to enjoy the polish and prowess that will flower over the next decade.

"I would suggest we don't be too hard him," he said.