Wade's long road back culminates in Ashes ton

Eighteen months ago, Matthew Wade thought his international career could be over after he was dropped from Australia's Test side for the 2017-18 Ashes for state teammate Tim Paine.

On Sunday, Wade scored a century in the first Test of the 2019 Ashes, celebrating his hundred with Paine, now Australia's captain, in the middle of a raucous Edgbaston.

A lot happened in those 18 months between Wade being discarded and recalled – he scored run upon run upon run at domestic level, was handed the Tasmania captaincy, welcomed his second child and put together a blistering Australia A tour that sealed his Ashes selection. 

The long road back was worth it as Wade posted his highest Test score, 110 in three hours at the crease, to propel his side to a position of dominance to take out the series opener in Birmingham.

"It probably hasn’t sunk in just yet," Wade said after play on Sunday.

"First Test match of an Ashes series and to play was a dream come true, let alone to contribute to what we’re hoping will be a win in the first Test.

"It probably won’t sink in until after the game or maybe a few days when we’re playing a tour game (in Worcester) in a few days.

"But I’m proud of the way I soldiered on in the last few years, not knowing if I’d get another opportunity."

Wade's opportunity was born out of weight at runs at domestic level.

Last summer he scored 1021 of them for Tasmania in the Sheffield Shield and proved he could adapt his game to all formats with 592 more for the Hobart Hurricanes in the KFC Big Bash.

There is no currency like runs for a batsman and Wade's efforts bought him a ticket to England on the Australia A tour with an eye on the Ashes.

But with his second daughter expected to arrive during the campaign, he considered pulling out of the tour to remain at home with wife Julia and his three-year-old daughter Winter.

Julia was having none of that. She made the decision to be induced on the eve of the tour to allow her husband to travel to the UK to push his claims for an Ashes berth.

Four days after Goldie Hue Wade was born, her father arrived in England and within a week he posted two whirlwind 50-over hundreds, with the second (off just 45 balls) registering as the fastest List A century by an Australian.

His stunning form saw him drafted into Australia's World Cup squad when injury hit, before returning to the A side to face the England Lions in a first-class clash in Canterbury where his chanceless 114 secured his spot in Australia's 17-man Ashes squad.

It's why when Wade reached 50 on Sunday he celebrated by rocking his bat like a baby in tribute to his young family.

"I am grateful to be here, and the celebration I am even more grateful to my wife for throwing me on the plane and telling me to come over and play the Australia A series, to hopefully get an opportunity to be in the position I am in," Wade said.

"That’s what that was all about. I didn’t know if I would get another chance."

Wade did get another chance but this time he celebrated his century with Paine, his childhood friend who he grew up alongside on the outskirts of Hobart where together they spent endless hours competing in fierce backyard battles.

The two could never have envisaged the circumstances that would bring them back together in front of a packed house in an Ashes Test.

"We've played a lot of Test matches in the backyard, a lot of Ashes Test matches as well," Wade said.

"When he came off I said (to Paine) that was pretty cool.

"The crowd here is something I haven't experienced in Test cricket before.

"It's an amazing atmosphere and we were enjoying it at the time. The scoreboard was going in the right direction for us and it was enjoyable.

"Me and Tim grew up in a small little suburb called Lauderdale, 20 minutes out of Hobart, so we've played a few backyard Test matches, but it was nice to be out there in the middle playing a real one today."

2019 Qantas Ashes Tour of England

Australia squad: Tim Paine (c), Cameron Bancroft, Pat Cummins, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Peter Siddle, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner.

England squad: Joe Root (c), Moeen Ali, Jimmy Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes (vc), Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.

First Test: August 1-5,Edgbaston

Tour match: Australians v Worcestershire, August 7-9

Second Test: August 14-18,Lord's

Third Test: August 22-26, Headingley

Tour match: Australians v Derbyshire, August 29-31

Fourth Test: September 4-8, Old Trafford

Fifth Test: September 12-16, The Oval