Australia captain Tim Paine is adamant Matthew Wade is only improving as a Test cricketer ahead of the Boxing Day Test
Wade only getting better in Tests: Paine
Matthew Wade's international journey has been as varied as they come, but Tim Paine believes the makeshift opener enters the Boxing Day Test in career-best form.
The Tasmanian started off life as a wicketkeeper batting at No.7, before earning a recall in the middle-order for last year's Ashes after two years in the wilderness.
But with David Warner's injury, Wade was thrown to the top of the order to partner an under-siege Joe Burns for the opening Vodafone Test against India.
While Warner is an automatic inclusion once he is fit, Paine is adamant Wade will continue to flourish at Test level.
"He'll do a great job for us whether he bats one through to seven. He's a flexible cricketer; he's shown that in all forms of the game," Paine said.
"He's another guy who I think is actually improving the older he gets.
"He's come back into the Australian side and batted in a number of different positions in white-ball and red-ball cricket."
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Australia will be out to maintain the heat on India when a capped crowd of 30,000 enters the MCG for the second Test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.
India could make up to five changes from the team that was routed for a record-low of 36 at the Adelaide Oval last week.
Talismanic captain Virat Kohli (parental leave) and fast bowler quick Mohammed Shami (broken arm) are already forced omissions, while opener KL Rahul and explosive wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant are in line for recalls.
The Test looms as a special event for Victorians with the game to be the first sporting contest played in front of a crowd in Melbourne since Australia's women's team won the Twenty20 World Cup final in March.
The life of Australian batting great Dean Jones will be celebrated during the tea break on day one after the proud Victorian died of a heart attack in September.
Vodafone Test Series v India 2020-21
Australia Test squad: Tim Paine (c), Joe Burns, Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Will Pucovski, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade, David Warner
India Test squad: Virat Kohli (c) (first Test only), Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Siraj
First Test: Australia won by eight wickets
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