Maxi eyes Ashes via big Shield runs

Glenn Maxwell says he's blocking out the selection noise ahead of the Magellan Ashes this summer, but concedes he needs runs if he wants to retain his Test spot.

The allrounder had a frank and open discussion with selectors a week ago after he was axed from the ODI side and says his Test hopes this summer will hang on his performances in the first three rounds of the JLT Sheffield Shield, starting later this month.

Coach Darren Lehmann has made it clear that the No.6 and No.7 spots for the first Ashes Test will be determined by Shield form, meaning there will be a nation-wide bat-off between a range of candidates to start the domestic first-class summer.

Having gone 27 innings without a half-century in all formats since his breakthrough Test century last March, Maxwell knows his immediate Test future will be on the line when he returns home from the current tour of India.

"They've made it pretty clear that whoever performs well in the three Shield games will put their name up and get the opportunity," he said.

"I'd like to get the opportunity if I do play well in those three Shield games. To play in the Ashes would be an absolute dream.

"I've obviously been a little bit short of runs. I've been hitting the ball sort of how I'd like to, but I just seem to keep getting out at strange times and in different ways.

"I wouldn't say I'm short of confidence. I think the pressure on you amplifies a little bit to get more runs (when you’re out of form)."

Apart from Maxwell, fellow allrounders Hilton Cartwright and Marcus Stoinis are in the frame for a Test call-up, and Lehmann's confirmation on Saturday that Australia's allrounder policy is now out the window has opened the door for a raft of young batting stars, like in-form left-hander Nic Maddinson, to step up and fill the No.6 role.

Speculation surrounding that position as well as the wicketkeeping spot for the Ashes is already dominating the headlines, but Maxwell has been trying to ignore the media hype.

"I haven't really been paying too much attention to it, to be honest," he said. "I've been a bit mute on social media recently.

"I've just been concentrating on trying to play good cricket for my country. Hopefully there's runs around the corner and some success around the corner."

Maxwell's dwindling returns with the ball at international level (he's bowled just 24 overs in 18 matches for Australia in 2017) only emphasises his need for Shield runs when he returns home.

And it's the same story in one-day cricket, a point selectors made clear to the 28-year-old after he was axed from the ODI side 10 days ago.

"We had a good chat in Nagpur and they were really fair to me, which was good," he said.

"They said I needed more runs and I understood that.

"My role in the team is probably more of a batter these days and I need to make more runs and I wasn't doing that. And I was duly dropped."

Maxwell will get a chance to break his run drought in Australia's second T20 against India, in Guwahati early on Wednesday morning (AEST).

Australia's Qantas Tour of India

Australia squad: David Warner (c), Jason Behrendorff, Dan Christian, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Aaron Finch, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Glenn Maxwell, Tim Paine, Kane Richardson, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa.

India squad: Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma (vc), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ashish Nehra, Axar Patel.

T20 Fixtures

October 7: JSCA International Stadium, Ranchi

October 10: Barsapara Stadium, Guwahati

October 13: Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad