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Glenn Maxwell hoping to stage Test comeback

by Manuj Sharma Thursday 8 September 2016

Glenn Maxwell scored a blistering century in the first T20I against Sri Lanka.

©REUTERS / Action Images

Flamboyant Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell is hoping that he can eventually stage a comeback into the Test team during the upcoming home season.

Maxwell, who was a regular member of the Australian limited overs squads, was recently dropped after a string of poor scores.

However, when given a chance to comeback in the first Twenty20 International against Sri Lanka in Pallekele, Maxwell grabbed the chance and scored a fantastic unbeaten century.

Promoted to open the innings for the first time in the format, Maxwell hit nine sixes and 14 fours in his 65-ball knock as Australia went on to post 263 for three which is the highest total in T20Is.

Admitting that he doubted his ability after being dropped out of the One-Day International side, Maxwell said that it was pleasing to score a hundred on his comeback.

“I’ve been out of the one-day team for a while now, so to get my first crack back in the main team and to do as well as I did today was brilliant,” Maxwell told reporters in Pallekele.

“I had doubted a fair bit about my ability at this level and to come out and strike the ball like I did today was really pleasing.”

Throughout his career, Maxwell made a name for himself as a batsman who can play unorthodox shots all around the ground and this ability earned him the nickname “The Big Show”.

Earlier in 2015, Maxwell admitted that he did not like to be called as “The Big Show” and after the innings of 96 against India in the ODI series earlier this year, he hoped that the nicknames will go away.

Despite a strong start to 2016, Maxwell was unable to keep the momentum going and after a string of single digit scores, he was eventually dropped after the tri-series in the West Indies.

The 27-year-old admitted that by coming out to open the innings, he had a little more freedom to see himself in and then go for his shots, something he was unable to do effectively in the middle order.

“When you’re in the middle order you have to be proactive the whole time and it seems that if you get out playing a big shot at that stage of the game, it all falls on your shoulders,” he added.

“At the top of the order you’ve got a bit more freedom to get yourself into the game and just play pretty normal cricket shots without taking too many risks.”

Maxwell, who averages 41.03 in first-class cricket, can be a handy asset for Australia in Test cricket if he manages to maintain consistent performances.

Stating that it was disappointing to have dropped off after the match-winning innings against India earlier this year, Maxwell is hoping that he can find his way back into the Test team.

“I hold pretty high standards for myself when I do play that level, I expect to dominate it, I expect to score a lot of runs,” he said.

“Having that innings at the MCG, I thought 2016 was the year I was going to break open world cricket.

“And then to just drop off completely in the one-day format was really disappointing.

“All my red ball runs have been made in England or Australia so on the back of that, I’d like to be picked in Australia.”

So far, Maxwell has played three Tests for Australia between 2013 and 2014 and was named in the squad for the now-postponed tour of Bangladesh which was scheduled for last year.