Handscomb up to back-up task: Hohns

Concerns over the susceptibility of Matthew Wade’s injured back are not sufficient for Australia’s selectors to consider adding a second specialist wicketkeeper for the upcoming four-Test tour of India.

Wade, Australia’s incumbent gloveman in all formats of the international game, was today ruled out of the remainder of the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy ODI Series in New Zealand and will return home to prepare for the Qantas Tour of India starting later this month.

He suffered a back spasm prior to last Monday’s opening ODI against New Zealand in Auckland and was ruled out of that game, and not deemed fit enough to take part in tomorrow’s match at Napier.

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And while Bupa Support Team medical staff have declared Wade’s problem a short-term injury, it has raised concerns as to whether a reserve keeper might be required in India should he succumb to the back aliment on the first morning of a Test match.

There is no specialist back-up keeper in the 16-man Test squad with part-time Victoria gloveman Peter Handscomb, who will fill in for Wade in the current NZ series, deemed an emergency measure should a replacement be required.

But National Selection Panel interim chair Trevor Hohns said today that there was no immediate need to add an extra player such as New South Wales keeper Peter Nevill, who Wade replaced in the Test XI earlier this summer.

Even though keeping wickets on low, slow sub-continental pitches where much of the work is carried out standing up to the stumps for spin bowlers is regarded as the greatest challenge of pure wicketkeeping craft in the game.

"I’m not sure it (a second specialist keeper) will be added,” Hohns said today at the announcement of Australia’s T20 squad that saw the return of Tasmania 'keeper Tim Paine to international cricket after almost six years on the outer.

"Obviously we have Peter Handscomb there who is filling in at the moment, and he’s more than a handy second wicketkeeper in our view.

"So we have somebody there on the morning of a match should something like that (Wade’s injury) occur again.

"And if it did occur, we would obviously have to think about sending a replacement at that stage."

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Hohns was then asked if he was comfortable that Handscomb, who conceded eight byes and missed a couple of difficult chances with the gloves against the Black Caps last Monday, could fill the role for an entire Test in India if required.

"At the last moment, probably yes at this stage," he said.

The once traditional practice of including a reserve wicketkeeper in Test touring parties has been dispensed with by Australia for all but campaigns in the UK and the West Indies.

Destinations where it’s impossible to have a replacement player flown in within a day if circumstances dictated.

Australia’s four-Test tour of India begins with a warm-up match against an India A team in Mumbai from February 17-19, with the opening Test starting in Pune on February 23.