3 reasons why Australia must back Glenn Maxwell in Tests
Glenn Maxwell played perhaps the greatest innings ever in white-ball cricket when he rescued Australia from the great abyss of dejection and took them towards victory against Afghanistan in Mumbai in the ongoing World Cup on Tuesday.
Reduced to 91-7 while chasing a gigantic 292, Maxwell combined with skipper Pat Cummins to lead the Kangaroos towards a famous victory. The Victorian ended up with an unbeaten 201 for his efforts.
One of the greatest tragedies of Maxwell's career is that despite being a veritable legend in the white-ball game, he has only played in seven Test matches. This is a blot that will stay with, and haunt him forever.
Former New Zealand wicket-keeper Ian Smith, who now works as a commentator, recently spoke to SEN's Sportsday and said that if given the chance, former New Zealand skipper and current England coach Brendon McCullum would have picked Maxwell in Test cricket.
However, Smith was quick to clarify that one of the biggest reasons why Maxwell has played so few Test matches is down to the depth that Australia have in the middle-order. The former stumper also said that Maxwell was sure to have played a lot of Tests had he been from a different country.
It also begs the question as to how Maxwell has been able to average just 26 in the longest format of the game. In the 14 innings that he has played, he has just one century to his name, and no half-centuries at all. With the ball in hand, he has picked up just eight wickets in total.
However, taking Smith's comments a notch further, in this listicle, we take a look at three reasons why Australia must back Maxwell in Test cricket:
#1 He offers a counter-attacking option in the middle-order
Test cricket, as we know it, has changed drastically. Teams are increasingly looking towards batters who can up the scoring rate in the middle and lower middle-order.
These players can give a lot of depth to the batting lineup and allow them to counter-attack whenever they get put under pressure. There is no better player than Glenn Maxwell at the moment to do that job for Australia in red-ball cricket.
Admittedly, he has not had the best of times in Tests, but if his resurgence of form in the World Cup is anything to go by, he can provide a valuable option to the Kangaroos. Maxwell's ability to counter-punch come what may works heavily in his favor.
#2 His handy off-spin will add variety to the bowling attack
In the ongoing World Cup, Australia arrived with just one specialist spinner - Adam Zampa. As a result, Maxwell has repeatedly had to bowl his full quota of 10 overs in the middle overs to ensure that skipper Pat Cummins has not had to rely solely on his seamers.
While picking just one spinner for a World Cup being held in India was a huge oversight on the part of the selectors, Maxwell has saved their blushes on quite a few occasions.
Over the years, he has greatly improved his bowling to add a bit of flight and pace to it. In the ongoing World Cup, he has made sure that he has used the trajectory and length of his deliveries well to lure opposition batters in.
This will come in handy for the Aussies in Test cricket as well in case they need a spin-bowling all-rounder. Maxwell has proved that his bowling is extremely reliable.
#3 His experience will help Pat Cummins on the field
Maxwell, who made his Test debut for Australia in Hyderabad in the 2013 series against India, has only played seven matches in his career so far. However, he has vastly improved himself in the other formats of the game.
Maxwell has also gained experience, and at 35, is perhaps at the peak of his powers as a cricketer. On the field, he is sharper and quicker than most youngsters vying for his place.
His experience will help Australia tremendously on the field, and his is a calm head that skipper Pat Cummins can often turn to in times of desolation.
Maxwell, who scored his lone Test century against India in Ranchi four years after he made his debut, does not have a stellar record in the longest format of the game.
However, with this second coming of his, one feels that he will be able to contribute greatly to Australia's cause. The Kangaroos must use his services before it's too late and before he decides to call it a day and walks off into the sunset.