Maxwell a genuine No.6: McDonald

Glenn Maxwell has the potential to “turn games single-handedly” if given the chance to unleash on England in the Magellan Ashes this summer, his Victoria coach Andrew McDonald believes.

Maxwell is set to retain the No.6 position he occupied for the final two Tests in India earlier this year when the first Test in Dhaka gets underway on Sunday, with the two-Test series offering the allrounder a chance to cement his place in the middle-order ahead of the home summer.

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"I hope he gets the opportunity (at No.6) in Bangladesh,” McDonald told RSN radio this week. “I think he can be a genuine No.6 and on flat wickets in Australia he could turn games single-handedly.”

Maxwell’s return to the Test XI in Ranchi was just his fourth appearance in the Baggy Green and while the explosive batsman is best known for his extraordinary feats in white-ball cricket, it’s in the longest form of the game that McDonald says the 28-year-old is now poised to finally make a significant mark on the Test arena.

It’s an observation backed up by statistics. While Maxwell averages 32.95 and 34.98 in ODI and List A cricket respectively, he holds a first-class average of 39.60 in 49 matches, with the hectic limited-overs calendar often restricting his red-ball opportunities.  

"One thing I think about, with Glenn Maxwell, is we haven’t seen a lot of him in red-ball cricket but he’s a pure technician when it comes to the red ball,” McDonald said.

"He can hold down six for Australia.

"In red-ball cricket he’s probably got the map (to success). 

"I think where the dilemma for Maxi is in one-day cricket. He’s been up and down the order and the role has always changed. 

"He probably hasn’t had the map in one-day cricket whereas in red ball (cricket) it’s pretty simple for him. 

"I think he gets that game more." 

And rather than be concerned that Maxwell’s impulsive tendencies may be to his detriment in Test cricket, McDonald believes the best way to handle a player like the Victorian is to simply let him go.

"You’ve got to let him understand the scenarios in certain games and how they’re unfolding, but I think he’s getting better at that,” he said. 

"You look at the balance of the side and you’ve got other guys who can play the lower-risk hands and he can be the icing on the cake. 

"Sometimes you’ve got to let him fly and see what he can do. It’s really exciting the way he can turn games. 

"You don’t put restrictions on him, he’s not the sort of player needs to be restrained, other guys can play those roles."

Speaking in Dhaka this week, Maxwell said while he didn’t feel settled in the Test XI, he hoped to nail down his spot as soon as possible.

"It was a nice feeling to get that hundred (in India),” Maxwell said. 

"You've still got a long way to go before you cement a spot in the Australian cricket team. 

"I know that I've got to be relentless in my performances and consistency, making sure that I'm contributing in all areas of the game. 

"Making sure all three facets of my game are up to international standard. 

"I'll be hoping to nail that spot down as quick as I can for as long as I can."

McDonald also offered an update on injured paceman James Pattinson, who is sitting out both the Qantas tour of Bangladesh and the limited-overs series in India that will follow due to inflammation in his back.

His absence is a precautionary measure aimed at allowing him the best preparation for the Ashes this summer, and McDonald hopes the quick will return to action during the JLT One-Day Cup. 

"He had a small setback, but what’s really positive is the fact he had (played) a lot of cricket, he played ten four-day games between Notts and Victoria," McDonald said.

"So he’s got some cricket under his belt. 

"He’ll get his back re-scanned early next month and on the back of that, if it’s positive then it’ll be (a case of) build it up and go. 

"We expect if that scan is positive, we’ll see him during the One-Day Cup which will bode well for the Sheffield Shield heading into the Ashes."

Australia in Bangladesh 2017

Australia squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Ashton Agar, Jackson Bird, Hilton Cartwright, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade.

Bangladesh squad: Mushfiqur Rahim (c), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Shakib Al Hasan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Sabbir Rahman, Nasir Hossain, Liton Das, Taskin Ahmed, Shafiul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Taijul Islam, Mominul Haque.

27-31 August First Test, Dhaka

4-8 September Second Test, Chittagong