Baggied Green inevitable, just not in my spot: Wade

More than a year ago, Matthew Wade already knew Cameron Green would play Test cricket.

After returning from the Ashes where he faced Jofra Archer and Stuart Broad in the middle and Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and co. in the nets, Wade's first Marsh Sheffield Shield game back was an away trip to face Western Australia. 

At that point Green was still batting at No.9 and playing as a frontline bowler for WA.

"I said to the boys then, 'He's going to be a hell of a player,'" said Wade. "I could just tell from facing him after facing the guys in the Ashes, and then facing him."

 A little over 12 months later, Wade was facing Green again in a Shield match in his first game after flying back from England, but this time with murmurings the young allrounder could challenge the Tasmanian captain for his Test spot.

Green's feats with the bat have since earnt him a spot in Australia's ODI squad and on Saturday he made his much-anticipated return to the bowling crease after he had undertaken considerable remedial work to ensure he does not suffer another back injury.

WA skipper Shaun Marsh would surely have loved to given Green more than the two four-over spells he was restricted to, especially after he removed Jordan Silk with a snarling delivery early in the day.

Green then got an extended bowl to Wade, who made 83 from No.3 to add to the growing deluge of runs from Test incumbents and hopefuls alike through the early rounds of the Shield.

His opinion of Green has not changed. But he has no plans to surrender his Test spot to him.

"He's going to play cricket for Australia and WA for a long, long time," said Wade. "He's an exciting prospect. It was a real challenge to face him. He got the ball through at decent pace.

"It's hard to say (whether he's ready for Test cricket now). Long term, he's going to be good enough to play as your third or fourth bowler, I think he's that good.

"Whether it's going to be now or in 12 months' time, or in six months' time, it's going to happen at some stage.

"I'm looking forward to seeing him play for Australia at some stage - hopefully not in my position."

And in that, Wade is as confident as one could be.

"I feel comfortable in the position I'm in," said the 32-year-old, who faced 159 balls before being deceived by WA spinner Ashton Agar . "I've played the last 10 Test matches in a row and I did reasonably well last summer and in the Ashes.

"So I'm reasonably confident I'll be playing in the Test series. Guys are scoring big runs now but it seems to happen every year.

"You can roll those (selection speculation) articles on and just change the names. I understand we've got to build the Test series up and there's always scrutiny around positions, but I'm pretty used to it.

"I think I'll be playing for Australia come summertime."

Green has quickly had to learn how to deal with increasing hype over his performances but just as he has consistently backed it up with the bat, it took him little time to (re) justify it with the ball on day two against the Tigers.

The towering right-arm quick had not bowled in a game since a month after that initial encounter with Wade last summer. He was given the southern end with a steady breeze blowing behind him and nearly took a wicket with his first ball when he had Charlie Wakim edging past second slip.

Green has suffered three stress fractures in his back already in his short career and he revealed the more streamlined bowling action he has been working tirelessly on with mentor Matt Mason.

Mason watched on, perhaps with a little pride, from the ground's adjacent practice nets at his pupil's slower run up and a smoother delivery stride, all the while retaining the effortless turn of pace that had netted him 28 wickets at 21.53 leading into this match.

And WA's bowling coach would not have been the only one smiling when Green sealed his comeback wicket with a lifter that shot off Silk's gloves and ballooned to gully, leaving the Tasmanian opener sporting a bloodied thumb.

Green only seemed to gain in speed and confidence, bouncing Wade first ball and towering him after his elongated follow through brought them almost face-to-face.

While he could not dislodge him in an equally sharp afternoon spell, Green continued to impress and finished 1-15 from eight tidy overs.

"It’s just an easy action. It’s a well-balanced run up, strong at the point of release and (lets) the ball go from high," former Test fast bowler Merv Hughes said on Cricket Network's commentary.

"What you’ve got to understand (is) that it’s the bounce of the ball at the top level that worries batsmen more than the pace of the ball … and he gets good quality bounce.

"He cocks his wrist and uses that (to get) a little bit extra (pace and bounce)."

India Tour of Australia 2020-21

Australia ODI & T20 squad: Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey , Pat Cummins (vc), Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Daniel Sams, Kane Richardson, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa

India ODI squad: Virat Kohli (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Mayank Agarwal, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Navdeep Saini, Shardul Thakur.

India T20I squad: Virat Kohli (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Sanju Samson (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Navdeep Saini, Deepak Chahar, Varun Chakravarthy

Australia Test squad: TBA

India Test squad: Virat Kohli (c), Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Rishabh Pant (w), Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Siraj

Dettol ODI Series v India

First ODI: November 27, SCG, 2.40pm AEDT

Second ODI: November 29, SCG, 2.40pm AEDT

Third ODI: December 2, Manuka Oval, 2.40pm AEDT

Dettol T20 INTL Series v India

First T20: December 4, Manuka Oval, 7.10pm AEDT

Second T20: December 6, SCG, 7.10pm AEDT

Third T20: December 8, SCG, 7.10pm AEDT

Tour matches

Australia A v India A, December 6-8, Drummoyne Oval

Australia A v Indians, December 11-13, SCG (day-night)

Vodafone Test Series v India

First Test: December 17-21, Adelaide Oval, 3pm AEDT (day-night)

Second Test: December 26-30, MCG, 10.30am AEDT

Third Test: January 7-11, SCG, 10.30am AEDT

Fourth Test: January 15-19, Gabba, 11am AEDT

*The matches and travel remain subject to any relevant government restrictions or requirements.