Don’t think I’m in contention for Test return; Australia got more than enough, admits Glenn Maxwell

01/24/2021

Despite Australia’s loss against India and a middle-order shambles, Glenn Maxwell has admitted that he isn’t in contention for a possible Test return. While stating that Australia have enough players, he warned that it is a double-edged sword for him to push his case in red-ball cricket.

For the first time, Australia threw not only a lead at home but also staggeringly conceded a game at their fortress Gabba to hand India an impressive 2-1 series win. While Australia did dominate the Adelaide Test, the other three Tests have been a rather comfortable contest for the Indians. Immediately after the series loss, Australia’s middle-order of Matthew Wade, Tim Paine, and Cameron Green came under the scanner.

While Green has performed well in his debut series, the duo of Wade and Paine with the bat have caused the selectors a few issues. With that, it also put the other round of players in contention for future series. However, Glenn Maxwell, who was one of the names floating, admitted that he’s not in the contention for a Test return. The all-rounder also hinted that the selectors have more than enough players to choose from.

"I don't think I stand anywhere near it, to be honest. They've got their idea of what they want. They've got guys in there at the moment who are very, very good first-class players,” the 32-year-old was quoted as saying by Herald Sun newspaper, reported TOI.

"Cameron Green we can see is going to be an absolute superstar, Puck (Will Pucovski), Travis Head's on the bench averaging 40 in Test cricket. They've got more than enough,” he added.

The explosive all-rounder made his Baggy Green debut in 2013 against India and ever since has been in and out of the squad, with his last appearance coming in 2017 against Bangladesh. However, with him being a vital part of the limited-overs setup, Maxwell feels that it’s a double-edged sword to push for a place in the Test side, which would require him to play red-ball games.

"It's one of those things where sometimes it's a bit of a double-edged sword," Maxwell said.

"You'd love to put your name forward for higher honours, but at the risk of losing your spot in the one-day team it's not worth it," he concluded.