Maxwell's spot not safe yet: Clarke

Former skipper Michael Clarke says Glenn Maxwell is no certainty to be picked in Australia's Test XI going forward, particularly if his off-spin bowling continues to be overlooked by captain Steve Smith.

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Maxwell enjoyed a breakthrough Test match in Ranchi last week, notching his maiden century in the Baggy Green in his return to the Test side after an absence of more than two years.

While the Victorian starred with the bat, he was barely sighted with the ball, sending down just four overs in India's marathon first innings that spanned 210 overs across three days.

It continued a trend for Maxwell in national colours; despite being Australia's main spinner in their World Cup success two years ago, he didn't bowl a single over in seven one-day internationals earlier this year, with the off-spin of Travis Head the preferred option.

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Given Australia's stated desire to select a fifth-bowling option in their Test side, Clarke believes Maxwell's position is vulnerable, particularly in Australian conditions.

"Conditions will dictate which way they go when they get back to Australia," Clarke said in a live chat on his Facebook page, adding that Maxwell's bowling was "underrated".

"Will they want the fourth fast-bowling option as the allrounder, or will they stay with Glenn Maxwell?

"Especially if Steve Smith is not bowling Maxi, then he becomes a legitimate batsman so he's got to be making a lot of runs to stay in the team.

"And I think this current Australian team likes to have an allrounder so I think when they get back from India (to Australia), I think they'll go back to three fast bowlers, an allrounder at No.6 with the one spinner in Nathan Lyon.

"But time will tell. If Glenn Maxwell keeps making runs, they have to keep picking him and I thought he was fantastic the other day."

Maxwell's century in Ranchi has at least temporarily halted what has been a revolving door of players to have been tried at No.6 since Mike Hussey retired more than four years ago.

Maxwell's hundred was just the second instance of an Australian No.6 posting a Test century since Hussey retired in 2013, adding to Smith's ton in South Africa three years ago.

Hussey notched five of his 19 Test tons having come to the crease at four wickets down but Australia have struggled to replace him in the years since, with Mitchell Marsh, Callum Ferguson, Nic Maddinson and Hilton Cartwright all trialled in the position over the six Tests in the recent home summer.

Coach Darren Lehmann is an unabashed fan of picking an allrounder who can bowl some handy overs and conceded Maxwell was under-utilised in Ranchi.

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"I think that’s captain’s call obviously,” Lehmann said when asked about Maxwell’s light workload.

"We did speak about it, chopping and changing (the bowlers) a little bit.

"The game was always on a knife’s edge so you always want your best spinners going.

"And we chopped and changed a little bit (but Maxwell) probably could have bowled a few more overs.

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"But I thought the spinners toiled really hard as well so that’s a call the captain makes out there and (we're) happy with that."

The positive for Maxwell is the prospect of another Test series in spinning conditions - a tour of Bangladesh remains a possibility later this year - ahead of the home Ashes next summer.

And Clarke said the right-hander's knock in Ranchi provided a blueprint for future innings at the top level, even in white-ball cricket.

Normally an attacking batsman, Maxwell was subdued in taking 30 deliveries to reach 10 runs, while his first boundary didn't come until the 57th ball he faced.

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"I liked the way he played, I liked the discipline he showed at the start of his innings," Clarke said.

"If he can continue to do that for his first 20 runs (in all formats) I think he's going to turn out to be an amazing player."