Australian opener Matthew Wade opposed the Indian team’s call to have back-to-back tests at Sydney and eliminate Brisbane (Gabba) as the venue for the fourth test of the Border-Gavaskar series. Wade on Sunday, in a virtual press conference, said that the home team prefers to stick with the schedule that was rolled out before the series kicked off.

Throwing light over the argument, the Indian test side – that saw five players scrutinised due to a breach of the bio-secure bubble – doesn’t want to travel all over to Brisbane after the third test in Sydney, owing to stricter quarantine protocols in Queensland. However, given playing back-to-back matches at the same venue seemingly not preferred by the management and no Indian side has ever won a test at Gabba, Wade pushed for Brisbane.

“I have not heard of this, but we obviously prefer not to (play back-to-back in Sydney). The schedule has been rolled out and we prefer to stick to that. Regardless, if that is a quarantine-based hotel, go to the ground, play and come back. Cricket Australia have been firm that they will stick to the schedule that we rolled out at the start of the summer so we fully expect to play at Gabba. There is no secret that we would love to play at Gabba. Harder quarantine and stricter bio-security protocols will be there. But we are ready for more sacrifice and face more challenges,” Wade said in a virtual press conference.

The fourth and final match is scheduled from January 15. The four-match Test series is currently level at 1-1.

“From our position, there is no uncertainty, we are going to play at the SCG and then playing at the Gabba until we are told that it is going to change. So, we are rolling to the next game expecting what is going to be. It is out of our control and there is nothing we can do.”

When asked about the investigation launched into a possible breach of COVID-19 bio-security protocol by the Indians after a video of them sitting at an indoor restaurant here surfaced, Wade said he doesn’t want to give much thought about what his opponents did outside the field. Australian media reports say that Ajinkya Rahane and company don’t want to quarantine and isolate any more, given they’ve already spent most of the days in their rooms.

“What India is doing, I have not really thought much about. As a group and personally have not thought much about what India is doing outside a cricket ground. That is the situation. We are thinking of how we can do much better,” Wade said.

The 33-year-old did address the threat Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja pose to the Aussies. “They (Ashwin and Jadeja) are a tough spin duo to crack, very consistent and have bowled terrifically well, especially in Melbourne. Probably they got more spin and bounce, more than what we expected in first innings. That was a little bit of shocker, but we expected that to come into play. We didn’t adapt quick enough to that wicket, but Steve (Smith) played against Ashwin plenty of times before this and he has been very successful on our wickets against him. I am sure he will be fine and no problems at all,” he said.

Wade has scored 111 runs from the four innings he has played so far. With David Warner and Will Pucovski walking into the side, his position will be a topic of discussion.

“We have to find a way, that’s the nature of the beast. I have really enjoyed opening, moving forward if that is something that selectors want me to keep doing more, I am comfortable doing. If I slide back down the order, I will do that also. I am ready from 1 to 7. I am happy to bat wherever playing games for Australia, I will take every run I get.” Wade said he is also prepared about the possibility of even being dropped.

“Will (Pucovski) has come back into the squad, so whether they make that change straight way and I slid back down, or whether I don’t play at all, who knows. I am not a selector but no indication at this stage and I prepare to bat where I have been batting and if I slide back down, I am comfortable there as well.”

The third test match starts at the SCG on Thursday with the series levelled at 1-1 after India’s dramatic win in the Boxing Day Test.