Matthew Wade played a remarkable inning in the T20 World Cup 2021 semi-finals that will be remembered for ages. Batting at No. 7, the Australia wicketkeeper-batsman smoked three back-to-back sixes that knocked out knocked Pakistan out of the tournament.
He returned unbeaten on 41 off just 17 deliveries as the Aussies were through to the finals with a five-wicket win. However, days after Australia’s first-ever T20I World Cup triumph, Matthew Wade disclosed that he played the high-octane final against runners-up New Zealand on November 14 with a grade 2 side strain.
Matthew Wade Picked Up Grade 2 Side Strain At Training A Dey Before Final Of 2021 T20I World Cup
As reported, the 33-year-old picked up the injury at training a day before the final face-off in Dubai. He was taken for the scans, which revealed a grade two strain. Matthew Wade said that he was worried about getting ruled out that would have meant an international debut for Josh Inglis.
“I was a little bit worried the night before the game, for sure,” Wade said.
“But in my mind, they would have had to strap me to the bed. I was always going to go out there and play. But I wouldn’t have played if there was a chance it was going to hurt the team. I went and hit some balls before the game and bluffed my way through that. Then they made me hit a few more, but I got through it and it felt pretty fine,” he added.
The report further quoted all-rounder Glenn Maxwell explaining how Matthew Wade tried to hide his injury during the training session.
“The way he was gingerly hitting underarms (in the warm-ups) … I said ‘what’s going on here? Hit the ball harder!’,” Maxwell said. “And he said, ‘I’ve got a side strain’. I didn’t even know.”
Matthew Wade (41 not out off 17) and Marcus Stoinis (40 off 31) shared an unbeaten 81-run stand for the sixth wicket to pull off a five-wicket win over Pakistan in the 2nd semi-final.
After his semi-final heroics, Matthew Wade, who turns 34 in December, said that he thought he might be playing his last international match for Australia. But he confirmed on Thursday that he would love to play in Australia’s title defence at home next year to finish off his international career.
Matthew Wade Will Focus On 2022 T20I World Cup After Missing Ashes Due To The Injury
Matthew Wade now has lost his spot in the upcoming Ashes Down Under owing to the injury and will focus on the next year’s T20 World Cup that will be held in Australia. As a result, Wicket-keeper-batsman Matthew Wade, whose heroic innings saw Australia win the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2021, and the man of the match of the final, Mitchell Marsh, have not been included in the team for the Ashes 2021/22.
“That’ll be my next motivation – hopefully get to that World Cup, defend the title and then I can sail off into the sunset. I certainly won’t be playing (international cricket) beyond that point. That would be my goal from here,” Wade said.
After the dropped catch by Hasan Ali in the penultimate over, Keeper Matthew Wade subsequently smacked Pakistan pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi for three consecutive sixes as Australia won with an over to spare. Marcus Stoinis (40*) and Matthew Wade (41*) took Australia over the line in a pulsating finish in Dubai against Pakistan.