Melbourne [Australia], December 1 (ANI): Australia star all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has stated that he has not ‘given up’ on his Test ambitions following Australia’s recent ODI World Cup triumph.
Maxwell, who last played a Test in 2017, has been in top form, with a double-century against Afghanistan in the ODI World Cup and now a century against India in the third T20I of the five-match series, all in a winning cause.
The all-rounder has only played seven Test matches in his career. Maxwell hasn’t donned the baggy green since 2017, and his Test record is far from impressive, with a batting average of 26.07 and eight wickets at a 42.62 average.
“I haven’t given up on Tests. I think I’ve just got to be realistic about the timings of the way I’ve been playing my white-ball cricket,” Maxwell was quoted as saying by the Sydney Morning Herald.
“You play a World Cup and then you don’t play any Shield cricket, you play at the back end of summer in white ball and don’t play any Shield cricket, so it’s just the way it’s gone over the last 10 years of my career really. The two runs in the final were pretty cool. I don’t think anything’s going to top that. Even though there were moments during the tournament individually, I think that final … nothing’s going to top that,” he added.
Earlier, Australia great Ricky Ponting also backed the idea of including outstanding all-rounder Maxwell in the Test following his astonishing success in the recently concluded ICC World Cup and a T20I series against India.
“I could see him getting back into a Test line-up because of the all-round game that he brings in those conditions. The [201] not out in that game against Afghanistan, which is the most remarkable one-day innings I’ve ever seen. I’ve been around a lot of games, watched a lot of games, played a lot of games, I’ve never ever seen anything like that,” Ponting was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
Meanwhile, Matthew Wade, who is leading Australia in the present T20I series against India, has backed Maxwell to excel in the cricket’s longest format.
“I think it is just mentally and a little bit physically, he’s come back from quite a bad injury and 50-over cricket tends to take it out of you,” Wade was quoted as saying SMH.
“He’s ready to go home, and a performance like that maybe didn’t happen if he didn’t know he was getting the opportunity to go home and rest. I’m really happy for him, his hundredth game. He found a way to bring his best and we’re happy he can go home and be with his family,” he added. (ANI)
