Wade suffers fractured cheek

An injury to Matthew Wade sent a scare through the Australian camp at training on Friday, when he was hit in the cheek while batting in the nets. Wade is likely to take his place in the line-up for the Hyderabad Test, but the Australians left open the possibility that he could be ruled out if he was to wake up with swelling or bruising on Saturday morning.

Wade is the only gloveman on the tour and if he was left out of the XI the most likely scenario would be that Phillip Hughes would keep wicket, given that he has occasionally stood in at state and international level in the past, while Usman Khawaja could come in to the side. If the selectors were to require a second wicketkeeper to fly to India, Brad Haddin would get the job, but the team medical staff was confident Wade would be fit.

"Matthew Wade copped a knock to the cheek while facing throw downs in the nets this afternoon but batted on during training," the team doctor Peter Brukner said late on Friday. "We sent him off for a precautionary scan after the session and he has a minor fracture, but has subsequently been cleared to play provided there is no excessive bruising and swelling overnight."

The Australian touring party originally included 17 men but a backup wicketkeeper was one of the glaring omissions when the squad was named. The Australians are almost certain to take two glovemen to the five-Test Ashes series later this year and the selectors have on several occasions declared that Wade and Haddin are their first choices.