Wade trusted to stem lower-order bleeding

He's been recalled to keep wickets, but it's Matthew Wade's ability in front of the stumps as much as behind them that's the reason why he's back in Australia's Test team.

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The third Commonwealth Bank Test against South Africa in Adelaide starting on Thursday will be Wade's first in more than three-and-a-half years.

And as if Victoria's colour-blind skipper doesn't have enough to worry about in the pink ball for the day-night fixture, he is also under pressure to make runs.

Averaging 34.61 in Tests with two centuries, Wade has replaced Peter Nevill, considered a superior gloveman but who has been brought undone by a batting average of 22.28 without a ton in 17 Tests.

While the focus has rightly been on Australia's misfiring top order during their five-match losing streak, the tail hasn't been able to stem the bleeding either.

In the 13 Tests Australia has played since the end of the 2015 Ashes, there have been only two instances of an Australian batsman scoring a half-century from No.7 or lower in the order; Nevill's unbeaten 60 in the first Test of this series, and the unbeaten 66 he scored in the day-night Test last year.

This is compared to four half-centuries from batsmen numbers seven to 11 in the Ashes themselves; Mitchell Johnson's 77 in Cardiff, Mitchell Starc's pair of 58s (at Edgbaston and The Oval) and Nevill's 59 in Birmingham.

Selector Mark Waugh is hopeful Wade's prowess with the bat will help reverse the trend.

"His keeping has improved. He's worked a lot harder in the last couple of seasons. He's kept well in the Shield matches that I've seen," Waugh told Inside Cricket.

"He's a real fighter and with the bat he's quite an aggressive player. So he's the sort of batsman at No.7 who can take the game away from the opposition.

"We've lacked a lot of runs - well from the top order - but six, seven and eight have given us really nothing in the last five games so he shores that middle to late order up.

"He's made two Test hundreds already so he's a quality batsman so we're looking for some performances from him as well."

Former Australian captain and selector Allan Border fully agrees with Wade's recall.

"I sort of had him in my team last week," he said.

"I just think the side lacks a little bit of get up and go, a bit of mongrel was my terminology and he certainly brings that to the table.

"We know what he can do with the bat in hand. He's made a couple of Test hundreds, important hundreds, and his wicketkeeping has improved.

"He probably needs some more improving in that area, but I just think the side needed something extra that Matthew Wade will bring to the table."

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