The bumps and bruises faded after the gap between the first and second Tests as the battle between Mathew Wade and Neil Wagner continued on Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Thursday.
In the first Test at Perth, Wade indulged in a contest with Kiwi pacer🅺 Wagner. The New Zealander kept on bowling the short balls targeting the shoulder of Wade. However, the left-handed batsman didn’t bow down to the challenge and took some mighty blows on his body.
"Keep coming, big boy."
ꦫNot oไften you see the batsman sledging the bowler!
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau)
Again, in the second Test, the exciting combaꩲt between Wagner and Waﷺde started right after the dismissal of Marnus Labuschagne. The left-arm pacer greeted the Aussie player with standard short pitch deliveries.
During the 61st over of Australia’s innings, Wagner bowled a short ball t𓄧owards Wade. The Aussie batter, instead of playing the ball, decided♕ to duck, but it hit his helmet.
Wagner’s deliv🧔ery struck on the back of Wade’s helmet, and after the deflection, the ball went straight into the fine leg region for four.
The Wade v Wagner battle continues! |
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau)
The battle between the two continued until Colin de Grandhomme, who🔯 sent Labuschagne back to the pavilion, took the wicket of Wade.
De Grandhomme bowled a j൩uicy length ball outside off, and Wade reached out to guide the delivery towards cover, but it ricocheted a thick outside edge to wicketkeeper BJ Watling who completed the catch.
After generating a lot of plays and misses and close calls, Colin de Grandhomme finally gets Matthew Wade's wicket to celebrate! |
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau)
