"No pressure on Travis Head to play the first game" - Australian captain Matthew Wade ahead of IND vs AUS T20Is
Australia's stand-in T20I skipper Matthew Wade has made it clear that the final decision to participate in the first T20I against India on Thursday will be solely left to Travis Head himself.
Head is fresh off an incredible hundred against India in the 2023 World Cup final and there has been a lot of talk about whether he will recover from the highs in just three days.
Here's what Matthew Wade told reporters about Travis Head:
“There is not going to be any pressure from us to make him play the first game, but one will definitely see him play in the series. With the World Cup not too far away, every game is important.”
He further added:
"The opportunity to play T20 cricket is something we are excited about. It has been a big few months for the Indian fans and we too are excited to be here and play some more cricket. A few boys have crossed over from the World Cup and the rest are eager to play this series."
Matthew Wade on playing in Indian conditions
Matthew Wade understands that with the T20 World Cup set to be played in the West Indies and the USA next year, they could encounter some pitches which would be on the slower side. He is hopeful that they are able to adapt if similar conditions are seen in India.
On this, Wade stated:
“Traditionally, the pitches are very, very good for batting over here. In the West Indies, they tend to slow up and take a little bit of spin. So, any opportunity we get on a slowish wicket with a bit of spin is an opportunity for someone to put their hand up and show what they can do."
India now will have to look forward to planning for the T20 World Cup next year and Suyakumar Yadav will be the stand-in skipper for the series.