Injured Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell believes that the Test side currently touring India for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy have been 'outstanding' barring their one self-destructing session in Delhi on Day 3. On the day, Australia lost nine wickets for 52 runs in the second innings to give up their advantage.
"I think they’ve shown a lot of fight. Bar that one session I thought they were outstanding. It’s bloody difficult over there - it’s not an easy place to play, it’s so foreign for us. But I feel like, apart from a couple of little moments, we’ve been in the fight, we’ve been matching India at different times and they’ve shown a lot of fight," he was quoted as saying by the Sydney Morning Herald.
Among the current set of players, Maxwell is the only one to have scored a Test century in India other than Steve Smith.
"It’s just sticking it out for a little bit longer and I’m sure that’ll be the message, to keep trying to stay up with India and take a hold of those key moments in the game. At the start of day three [in Delhi] I thought we were well ahead in the game, and to be ahead of India at any stage of a Test match over there is a sign we’re doing the right things, it’s just doing it for a little bit longer," he added.
Australia have been boosted with the return of Maxwell to the ODI squad for the three-game series which starts on March 17. He has not played international cricket since breaking his leg at a birthday party in a freak accident last November.
"I’ve been in constant touch with the selectors for a while now, and it probably hasn’t happened as fast as I’d like. I probably would’ve liked to be playing a little bit earlier, but the fact I knew the timeline for the one-day side and the realistic goal, I was able to manipulate my rehab program to fit that timeline I was racing against," he said.
“After the World Cup last year I was pretty cooked, and it’s never nice to have a break of this magnitude, but it’s also not the worst timing to have a little bit of time away from the game and I did spend most of it in rehab, physio and gym sessions, but it was a nice little refresher. Hopefully, this will extend a little bit of time at the back end of my career," the star all-rounder concluded.
