Brad Haddin could be in line to play his first Test in more than a year after Cricket Australia confirmed he would fly to India to be on standby for the injured Matthew Wade.
Haddin was due to leave Australia on Monday to join the squad after scans revealed Wade had suffered a sprained right ankle while playing basketball with team-mates and support staff in Chandigarh on Saturday. Although Wade has not yet been ruled out of the third Test, which starts in Mohali on Thursday, he must now be considered in serious doubt.
"Matt has a complex ankle injury which has been confirmed by the scans and, at this stage, is in doubt for the third Test starting on Thursday," the team physio, Alex Kountouris, said. "A final decision on whether he will be available for the third Test will be made closer to the match."
Wade has been Australia's preferred Test wicketkeeper since the tour of the West Indies last April. On that tour, he and a struggling Haddin would have been vying for the job for the first Test in Barbados, but Haddin was a late withdrawal from the trip as he flew home to be with his seriously ill daughter.
Despite his age - Haddin turned 35 in October last year - the selectors remained keen on having him around Australian cricket and he played limited-overs matches during the summer when Wade was rested. The intention has always been for both Wade and Haddin to be taken on the long Ashes tour later this year.
Haddin's Sheffield Shield form this summer has been strong and he has scored 468 runs at an average of 52.00 with two centuries. His most recent Test was the Adelaide Test against India in January last year, in a series which Australia won 4-0.
Haddin called in as cover for injured Wade
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Haddin called in as cover for injured Wade
