The value of Peter Handscomb's part-time keeping has skyrocketed on the eve of Australia's Test tour of India, with Matthew Wade to return home from New Zealand because of a back injury.
Wade was listed to captain Australia throughout the ongoing ODI series in New Zealand following the withdrawals of Steve Smith and David Warner.
But the stand-in skipper failed a pre-match fitness test in Auckland on Monday, having tweaked his back taking a catch at training the day before.
Wade, unable to take part in training beyond walking laps of McLean Park on Wednesday, will return to Australia for treatment.
It is far from ideal in the lead-up to a four-Test tour of India, which starts in Pune on February 23 and will test Wade's much-scrutinised glovework like few other challenges.
"There will be no problem for India and (a pre-series training camp in) Dubai. I'll be hitting the ground running when I get to Dubai," Wade said.
"We've got a practice game there and a practice game in India before the first Test. I'll be available for all of those, that won't be a problem.
"They (team doctor John Orchard and team physio David Beakley) are on top of it. They know exactly what's going on. For me it's just about trying to recover and get it right."
Australia won't summon a replacement wicketkeeper to New Zealand, with management viewing the situation as an ideal chance for Handscomb to improve his glovework before India.
Australian chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns said selectors would also resist sending a second gloveman to India in case Wade's ailment flared again, believes Handscomb could fill the role as a stop-gap.
"We have Peter Handscomb there who is filling in at the moment and he is more than a handy second wicketkeeper in our view," Hohns told reporters in Adelaide on Wednesday.
"So we have somebody there on the morning of a match if something like that was to occur again. And if it did occur we would obviously have to think about sending a replacement at that stage."
Wade said Handscomb was "very, very handy" have around.
"He's kept in first-class cricket when I haven't been there at times. He's well and truly a good keeper."
Wade is no stranger to drama in India, having sprained his ankle playing basketball during Australia's calamitous 'homeworkgate' tour in 2013.
There was talk in Australia's camp about Haddin coming out of international retirement, but all of it was tongue in cheek.
"He squashed that pretty quickly ... it was just the boys taking the mickey" Wade said.
Handscomb, who grassed a rearing edge during the series opener and was responsible for a few byes, only learned he was keeping shortly before the toss.
"It's not an easy thing to do," Wade said.
"This game he's got a little bit more prep time."
Aaron Finch will remain captain, having led the side at Eden Park.
"It was hard to sit there and watch the other day, so it's going to be the same in Napier. It's really frustrating," Wade said.
