India tour will be real test for Australia, says Maxwell[/caption]Internet Desk: Australian power-hitter Glenn Maxwell thinks he and his team only need to concentrate on their on their opposition not the pitch when it comes to handling the spin on their upcoming Test tour of India.
As Maxwell looks to capture the vacant No.6 position in the Test side, he is firmly of the opinion that sticking to one strategy through an innings – let alone four Tests – against the likes of Ravi Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja will set the Australian batsmen up for failure.
"I'm not sure it's a place you ever really feel comfortable. It's a place where you've got to work so hard to get your runs, and you've got to have different strategies at different times of a game," said the 28-year-old, who has earned a cult following in India due to his deeds in the Indian Premier League, in which he was named tournament MVP in 2014.
"That's probably what I've learned; you can't go in there with just one strategy and stick to it.
"You've got to be adaptable and you've got to be able to change your game almost mid-innings.
"So it's going to be a real test of everyone.
"Even for the Indian players, you watch them, they go through different stages of their innings from sweeping, to using their feet, to playing off the back foot – they change all the way through their innings.
"Hopefully we can do similar stuff and work on our play of spin because it's going to be pretty key."
Maxwell, currently in New Zealand with the ODI squad for the Chappell-Hadlee series, has played three Tests – all in Asia – without producing the breakout performance so many believe he's capable of, though he was last afforded an opportunity in Baggy Green in October 2014.
In those three matches, he was shuffled through five positions in the order – from opener right down to No.8 – as Australia looked to use the enigmatic allrounder to solve problems in the midst of difficult tours of first India and then the United Arab Emirates against Pakistan, during which they lost all six Tests.
The Victorian has clearly been a more attractive package to selectors for Tests in Asia, given his ability as an off-spinner, however Maxwell believes the No.6 spot is one he can make his own permanently.
And with incumbent No.6 Hilton Cartwright not selected for the India tour, the position is vacant – with Maxwell, Mitchell Marsh and Ashton Agar all vying to grab the opportunity.
"I'd certainly like to be the No.6, in all countries," he said. "I think it'd be a great position for me to try and nail down, and that's something I'm hoping to do starting in India.
"So hopefully we can finish with a good result (in New Zealand), then I can head to Dubai (for Australia's training camp) and start preparing for the next tour."
The Australia and New Zealand ODI squads both made their way from Napier to Hamilton on Friday following Thursday's farcical abandonment at McLean Park.
The two sides meet again on Sunday, with the Black Caps holding a 1-0 need but Australia the current holders of the Chappell-Hadlee trophy, meaning both sides must win to claim the silverware.
"We're still pretty focused on the next game and there's still a lot to play for," said Maxwell when asked if his mind had started drifting towards the subcontinent.
"We do take this Chappell-Hadlee (series) very seriously, and the way we played in the Australian series probably shows that – we dominated that series and we were looking to do that when we came over here as well."
With inputs from Cricket Australia.
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