Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell harbouring hopes of being picked for upcoming Test series
Glenn Maxwell admitted that the tri-series against West Indies and South Africa in the Caribbean was "disappointing" but is hopeful of being picked for the upcoming home Test series against South Africa on the back of his four-day form.
In the Tri-series, Maxwell had a torrid and finished with just 53 runs from five matches. And a run of scores that read 0, 6, 0, 0, 3 and a highest of 46 not out in his last eight ODI innings meant he was unsurprisingly dropped from the ODI squad to face Sri Lanka.
Speaking about the series, Maxwell said: "West Indies was pretty disappointing. I felt like I was a bit out of luck there. I just couldn't get a break through that."
"To not be on the Sri Lanka Test tour probably hurt more than anything. I understood why they dropped me. I had no issues with that. And my scores were quite pitiful, by my standards, for the Australia A team.
"I think I scored more in this innings than in all my A team innings put together. (Maxwell scored 107 runs in his last four List-A games and two first-class games for Australia A combined)”
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While his unbeaten 145 has all but cemented his place in the squads for the shorter formats, the 27-year-old has high ambitions and wants to be picked for Australia's upcoming Test tours at home.
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While there have been many who have asked for batsmen who have done well in the shorter formats in Asia to be picked for Asian Tests, Maxwell isn't so sure.
"To score runs in one-day cricket in the subcontinent is totally different to playing red-ball cricket, when you've got guys around the bat, five guys on the fence, and they're able to just plug away all day," Maxwell said.
"It doesn't matter how many reverse sweeps for four you hit, they're still going to be around the bat. And when you try to defend, one will blow up off the wicket, take your gloves, and you’re out.
"I know how difficult it is. People say he's made runs in the subcontinent in the white-ball form so surely he can make runs in the red-ball form. But it's just not the same.
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As far as his Test ambitions are concerned, the 27-year-old was keen to stress that he would like to be picked where he has had success.
"I'd like to think, on the back of my four-day form in Australia, I don't think it should matter where my Tests are played," he said. "I wouldn't want to be pigeonholed as a subcontinent specialist, because I know how difficult it is here. All my red-ball runs have been made in either England or Australia. On the back of that I'd like to be picked in Australia.”