Oz one-day wicketkeeper Wade to make Test debut against Windies

Melbourne, Mar 26(ANI): Australia's one-day wicketkeeper Matthew Wade will make his Test debut next month following Brad Haddin's decision not to return for the series against the West Indies.

Haddin had left the tour early to return home for family reasons, but was expected to return for the three-Test series.

But Cricket Australia announced that Haddin's New South Wales deputy, Peter Nevill, would remain in the West Indies as Wade's understudy.

"Cricket Australia fully supports Brad's decision to remain in Australia and sends its best wishes to him and his family at this time," Telegraph.com.au quoted Cricket Australia team performance manager Pat Howard, as saying.

While Haddin, 34, lost his place to Wade in the one-day side this summer, the selectors stressed that Haddin remained the incumbent Test keeper.

With Wade now set to play in the Test series, Haddin's international future remains unclear.

Wade's strong record for Victoria suggests he is ready to step up to Test cricket.

He has already played 50 first-class matches, averaging 40, with four centuries, and also has four hundreds and an average of 36 in domestic one-day cricket, while Haddin has struggled with bat and gloves of late, with his Test average falling from a career-high 43 to 36. (ANI)