Matthew Wade ruled out of the New Zealand series

Australia’s stand-in skipper for the tour Matthew Wade picked up an injury during training with the assistant coach and ex-wicket keeper Brad Haddin. He missed the first match, looked unlikely for the second and now has been ruled out from the Chappel-Hadlee series and has returned home.

Wade, however, sounded positive for the India tour. “It’s just about trying to rest and recover, it has been really frustrating. But there should be no problem for India,” he said while talking to the reporters in Napier. “It’s not a major injury but with the short turnaround between matches and the four-and-a-half hour journey by bus to Hamilton for the next match, it’s been decided its best for me to go home and get some treatment in Melbourne,” he added.

Cricket Australia’s Medical officer John Orchard told the reporters the same, he said, “With Matthew not being fit for Thursday’s game… it has been decided to send him home for an assessment and treatment in Melbourne, with a view to him being fit for the tour of India and the training camp in Dubai that precedes it.”

“We are hopeful this injury will settle down relatively quickly and that he will be able to participate in that tour without any issues,” he added.

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Australia train in Dubai for the upcoming India tour and Wade aims to be on a flight for the same by Monday. “I’ll get that bit of treatment in Melbourne and we’re hopeful it’ll be fine by Sunday or Monday and I can be on a flight to Dubai and start training pretty much as soon as I hit the ground there,” he explained.

As the wicketkeeper-batsman is ruled out from the New Zealand series, opener Aaron Finch will be the one to lead the side for the remaining two fixtures as well. Finch landed in Auckland 30 minutes prior to the first game. Wade was already standing in for captain Steve Smith who is out injured and the vice-captain David Warner who has been rested.

There will be no replacement for Wade as Peter Handscomb will take the gloves. New Zealand already lead the series 1-0 and with Wade out they will have to work even harder to turn the tables.