Follow UsIt has been 1750 days since Glenn Maxwell donned the Baggy Green, in 2017, against Bangladesh. Maxwell’s last First-Class appearance was 976 days back. However, owing to circumstances – with injury to Travis Head, Maxwell has earned himself a return in the longest format, with the first Test in Galle on June 29 (Wednesday).
While it isn’t yet sure if Maxwell will indeed find himself a place in the playing XI, his selection now provides the opportunity for the selectors to experiment. Prior to this tour, national selector, George Bailey had kept the door open for Maxwell’s return to the Test side.
Earlier in the day, Aaron Finch had stated that Head being ruled of the fifth ODI was just a precautionary measure.
"It's a bit more of a precaution, especially with where he fields. He fields in the outfield and the ground is quite heavy and he does a lot of Ks. I'm not sure what he'll be like for the Tests but he's definitely not available for tomorrow," Finch said.
Maxwell, earlier in the year, had stated that he might be fancied by the selectors for the Asian tour, considering his skillset, both with the bat and the ball.
"A guy that hasn't played any first-class cricket would be a random pick," Maxwell told cricket.com.au.
"I know it's specific to my skillset and the way I play slow bowling, especially in these conditions, that might have been something to sway them.
Head sustained an injury while fielding in the fourth ODI, which now has reshuffled Australia’s plans for the first Test. In addition to that, Jon Holland, Matthew Kuhnemann and Todd Murphy will remain with the national squad in a bid to help them prepare for the series.