IND v AUS 2020: 'The Indian bowlers need to play with Glenn Maxwell's ego because he is an egoistic player' - Aakash Chopra
Former opener Aakash Chopra has opined that the Indian bowlers should play with Glenn Maxwell's psyche to dismiss him cheaply in the remaining matches of the India-Australia series.
He made this observation while sharing a gameplan the Indian bowlers could adopt against Glenn Maxwell in a video shared on his Facebook page.
Aakash Chopra started by highlighting that Glenn Maxwell's performances in the IPL and those in international cricket are like chalk and cheese.
"All is well or rather all is not well with Glenn Maxwell, we have seen that in the IPL. But the IPL story is normally not the story of international cricket, when it is about Glenn Maxwell. In the IPL he seems to be struggling but when he plays for Australia, he becomes max while in the IPL he is mini."
The reputed commentator observed that Glenn Maxwell only looks to target the leg-side with his unorthodox batting stance.
"The way Glenn Maxwell stands at the crease, it seems like we are watching a match from Lagaan or he is a woodcutter. He is only looking to hit on the leg side and not concerned about the off side at all."
Talking about the tactics against Glenn Maxwell, Aakash Chopra wants the Indian quicks to target him with bouncers and yorkers, and play with his ego.
"His problem is nose and toes. So you should employ a fast bowler at the start and bowl him at his toes and then his nose or vice versa. You need to bowl a bouncer followed by a yorker repeatedly and play with his ego because he is an egoistic player."
The former KKR player added that conventional length bowling should not be used against Glenn Maxwell and that he should be tried to be dismissed right from the outset.
"If you bowl a bouncer, he will go after it. If you bowl a yorker, he will try to remove his feet and play a shot. And when you try all that, you can get out. So you should not do length bowling to him. You should try to get him out right from the outset."
Aakash Chopra on the spinners' plans against Glenn Maxwell
Coming to the spinners, Aakash Chopra wants them to employ a wider line to restrict his strokeplay.
"When you get the spinner, you need to ask him to bowl wide to Maxwell and make him hit over the covers. He will not be able to play the reverse sweep as well as he won't get the strength on the shot."
The 43-year-old also suggested that the Indians should resort to a little bit of mental disintegration on the field by taking advantage of Glenn Maxwell's lack of confidence after his poor returns in the IPL.
"I would say that you need to maintain the pressure, you should chirp a little as well because with the sort of performance he has gone from the IPL, I am pretty sure that some of the confidence might have been shaken. So you will have to take advantage of it."
Aakash Chopra signed off by observing that the Indian bowlers should not give Glenn Maxwell any deliveries in his hitting arc to ensure that he goes back to the dismal form he showed in the IPL for the Kings XI Punjab.
"You need to use change of pace as well. So, bouncers, yorkers, change of pace, anything that is outside of the normal range. The spinners need to bowl a little slower and in the end, what we want is that Maxwell plays as he did in the IPL, that he becomes 'Mini' well and not Maxwell."
Glenn Maxwell has taken the Indian attack to the cleaners in the first two matches of the ongoing ODI series. The Indian thinktank would be keen on devising a plan to restrict the unorthodox batsman in the last ODI and the three-match T20I series post that.