Maxwell is confident he can prosper in the longer format of the game
Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell is mostly known for his hard-hitting batting style and having some skill with the ball in his hands as well, but the 24-year-old believes he has the concentration, patience and composure required to play Test cricket and is hoping to be selected for at least one Test during the ongoing four-Test series against India.
Maxwell was selected for the tour of India after posting outstanding performances in the limited overs series against Sri Lanka and the West Indies.
What was more of a surprise was the amount of spin he got on the pitches in Australia, which are more traditionally known for being a pace bowler’s dream.
The national selectors believed that Maxwell’s off-breaks would come in handy and compliment the other full-time spinners, who happen to be off-spinner Nathan Lyon and left-arm spinner Xavier Doherty.
“I feel like I’m definitely a genuine batsman,” Maxwell said. “I’ve done a lot of work on my technique over the last few years. [Victoria coach] Greg Shipperd has been a big believer in my technique and I feel that’s shone through in Shield cricket.
“I’ve played some good Shield innings where I’ve played technically really good cricket. I’m hoping I can showcase that when the opportunity arises, but yesterday wasn’t really the time to do it. I’m sure if I get the chance to play Test cricket I’ll probably be a bit more reserved.”
Maxwell has played in India previously, visiting the country in 2010 to participate in a training camp, which was set up by the Centre of Excellence.
He also represented the Delhi Daredevils in last year’s edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Having had a moderate amount of experience playing in subcontinent conditions, Maxwell noted that his footwork was going to be key when it came to playing the Indian spinners.
“I’ve thought about how I’m going to be playing spinners over there,” he said. “I’ve been lucky enough to play over there a little bit, I had the Academy a couple of years ago and had the IPL experience last year. I know my game plan over there is going to be pretty simple, using my feet against the spinners and hopefully that will hold me in good stead.”
The Australian all-rounder has worked with leg-spin king Shane Warne over the summer to understand the mental aspects of spin bowling, while also receiving assistance from Ray Bright and Shawn Flegler.
Maxwell stated that he was going to use the sharp-turning Indian pitches to his advantage and hopes to surprise captain Michael Clarke and the rest of the team management with the amount of damage he can cause.
“With the wickets and the way they spin, you can bowl a lot faster over there and really use your pace variations to your advantage,” Maxwell said. “In Australia you’ve got to be a lot more accurate, a lot more consistent in a certain area, where India allows you a lot more margin for error just because of the way it spins.”