Wade's cautious half-century perfect Test prep

Like his Test teammate Steve Smith, Matthew Wade has used an atypically cautious knock to steel himself for the upcoming Test campaign against Pakistan.

Wade, a near-certainty for Australia's Test line-up to be announced on Thursday, made the most of a placid Adelaide Oval pitch in the face of disciplined South Australia bowling to finish day two of the Marsh Sheffield Shield fixture unbeaten on 53 from 147 deliveries faced, with his team 2-176.

The usually fluent left-hander fashioned a studious third-wicket partnership with ex-Test opener Alex Doolan (87 not out from 212 balls) that yielded 107 from almost 50 overs in pursuit of SA's hefty first innings total of 6(dec)-490.

Earlier in the day, Smith had completed the slowest century of his first-class career in New South Wales' Shield fixture match Western Australia in Sydney.

Wade's unbeaten half-century in Adelaide hours later was similarly watchful, and equally out of character.

After an initial flurry of runs, Tasmania made no attempt to match SA's run rate of almost four per over as Wade and Doolan – who was dropped by Chadd Sayers at square leg on 69 – slowly whittled away at the sizeable deficit.

Wade has been in solid form since his stunning century in the fifth Ashes Test at The Oval, and has averaged more than 55 for Tasmania this summer.

Although his output today of 37.41 runs per 100 balls faced was markedly less than his first-class career strike rate of 50.82.

It was also a stark contrast to South Australia's free-wheeling first innings that was underpinned by a breezy record opening stand of 293 between Jake Weatherald (198) and Henry Hunt (132).

The Redbacks' intention to make further haste on today's resumption was stymied by the loss of three quick wickets within half an hour of play beginning. 

Monday's stifling heat had given way to thick cloud, brisk chill and an occasional dusting of rain, and Tasmania's bowlers welcomed the change as well as a second new ball barely a dozen overs old at the resumption.

Not that the movement accounted for Weatherald, who threw his bat at a wide delivery within sight of a double-century and appeared rueful at having squandered the chance to grasp the rare milestone.

However, swing certainly did for reinstated SA skipper Jake Lehmann, when Jackson Bird snuck between the left-hander's pad and bat to tilt back middle stump, completing Lehmann's fourth single-figure score from as many Shield innings this summer.

And Callum Ferguson failed to add to his overnight tally when Sam Rainbird fired a hooping in-swinger into the veteran's pads.

But Tom Cooper (32 from 39 balls) and keeper Harry Nielsen (64 not out from 80) stepped up the chase for quick runs, and the declaration that was so clearly front of mind was formalised during the lunch break.

SA's new-ball pair Sayers and Nick Winter then looked to recapture the swing that Tasmania's seamers found earlier in the day, but it proved illusory.

Instead, as the pair pitched full in the hope that the almost-English conditions might see the ball wobble, Tasmania's openers helped themselves to a steady offering of half-volleys and full-tosses.

Doolan and Beau Webster rattled along at almost a run-per-ball in the first half hour of Tasmania's innings, before the introduction of Joe Mennie (in his first Shield game for the season) and Wes Agar tightened the screws.

It was Agar, the pick of SA's bowlers who conceded just 10 runs from 12 overs today, who made the breakthrough when he trapped Webster lbw for 32 from 44 balls faced.

And the novelty of George Bailey's inverse batting stance was short-lived as the former Test player and Australia limited-overs captain nicked off to give Mennie his first wicket of the summer.

That brought together Doolan and Wade, and their union will continue tomorrow with first innings parity still 314 runs in the distance.