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Unknown venues put new spin on Test tour

Venues previously not used for Test cricket could add extra element to Australia's tour of India

Glenn Maxwell has a simple solution to Australia's looming spin selection conundrum in India.

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Maxwell finds himself locked in an intriguing battle for spots in the XI alongside fellow tweakers Ashton Agar, Mitchell Swepson, Steve O'Keefe and Nathan Lyon.

"Why not five?" Maxwell laughed, when asked how many spinners could feature in Australia's XI when the four-Test series starts in Pune on February 23.



It's not going to happen, but the prospect of Maxwell, Agar or Swepson playing in the same side as frontline spinners O'Keefe and Lyon is on the cards.

National selectors named a 16-strong spin-heavy squad last month, wanting to offer skipper Steve Smith as many bowling options as possible in the touring party.

Trevor Hohns' panel knows they must do something different if they're to conquer Test cricket's toughest challenge.

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England's success in 2012 makes them the only team in the past 12 years to win a Test series in India, while Australia have lost their past nine Tests in Asia and won just one of their past nine Test series in India.

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Coach Darren Lehmann and the on-duty selector will study the pitches at all four venues before making a call on the respective teams.

That is always the case with any international match. However, on this trip there will be even more of a sense of the unknown because three of the four grounds have never hosted a Test.

"We never know (what the pitches are going to be like)," Maxwell said.

"Having played in Dharamsala in that T20 last year I know it's probably going to spin quite big, but I'm not really as sure what the other three are going to offer up.

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"Bangalore's a pretty good wicket generally, and the small boundaries there will make it a good spectacle there for the crowd ... it's a nice wicket.

"Hopefully we can turn up and there are some nice tracks for us."

Maxwell was pleased that fans Dharamsala, Pune and Ranchi will taste Test cricket for the very first time.

"I know how much Indians love their cricket, and I know how much those cities will appreciate having Test cricket in their town," he said.