Former Test quick Jason Gillespie says Australia would be tempted to recall Glenn Maxwell for the second Test against India, despite a victory in Pune that he says is one of their best ever overseas, if not the greatest in their history.
While the Aussies would be loath to change a winning side, Gillespie says Maxwell’s ability to take the game on in Indian conditions could bring him into contention for his first Test since 2014, probably at the expense of fellow all-rounder Mitchell Marsh.
But Gillespie added Marsh’s pace-bowling, which wasn’t used in Pune due to the dominance of Australia’s spinners, will be required on a Bengaluru surface that is expected to be flatter than the minefield in Pune.
“I think it’d be unlikely (they’d make any changes),” Gillespie told an Australian sports website. “I think the only guy under pressure to keep his spot will be Mitchell Marsh, who didn’t bowl in the Test and is the back-up for the seamers.
“I think Mitch will stay in; he made 31 in the second innings in a low-scoring game so he’s probably done enough, just, to hang on.
“But if they feel they can get away with two seamers, I’d be tempted to potentially play someone like Maxwell. He’s a fine player of spin (and) I think he’s an underrated long-form player.
“The reason I say that is he judges length very quickly and that’s the key to batting. And I think on these surfaces he could be quite fearless and take the attack to the Indian spinners. And I think he could do a decent job.”