Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey among others criticise Matthew Wade for gifting his wicket away

Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey, Mark Waugh and others lashed out at Matthew Wade for playing a rash shot and gifting his wicket away during Australia’s third Test against India at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Wade was batting on 13 runs with two fours before he tried to take on Ravindra Jadeja.

Wade tried to chip the ball over the mid-wicket region and could manage a leading-edge. Jasprit Bumrah, standing at mid-on, went back and took a relatively easy catch. Ponting, the former Aussie skipper, hit out at Wade, saying that he needs to be more aware of the match situation.

“Matthew Wade needs to have a lot more game awareness…what he’s done by getting out is expose Cameron Green to the new ball, a guy in his third Test, and for mine that is just not thinking enough about the situation of the game,” Ponting told.

Green couldn’t open his account after toiling hard for 21 balls. Jasprit Bumrah trapped him plumb in front to end his stay in the middle.

Matthew Wade is just giving his wicket away: Hussey

In the meantime, Hussey reckons that Wade can’t afford to throw his wicket away through low-percentage shots. “He’s just giving his wicket away; they are low percentage shots. He exposed Cameron Green to the new ball just before lunch,” Hussey told on Fox Sports.

Waugh stated that the left-hander should be waiting for loose balls to put away rather trying to manufacture shots of good balls.

“It’s a Test match there’s no need to do that. It’s good to be aggressive but if the balls not there then you’ve got to pull out of the shot and knock it down for one,” Waugh said.

Kerry O’Keefe, another commentator, recalled how Wade handed his wicket in a similar manner to Ravi Ashwin during the second Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

“Matthew Wade was undone as he was in Melbourne by Ashwin’s flight. He advanced, he wasn’t to the pitch and it was an ugly slice across the line and the mid-on held well going back and Wade, so busy, but in the end undone by the flight of Jadeja and out for 13,” O’Keeffe said.

In the first innings of the SCG Test, Australia were bowled out 338 after Steve Smith’s 226-ball 131 with 16 fours. Marnus Labuschagne’s 91 also guided the Aussies through.