Former Australian paceman Jason Gillespie has admitted that Australia would be tempted to recall Glenn Maxwell for the second Test against India despite a massive victory in Pune, which he describes as 'one of their best ever overseas'.
After thrashing the Virat Kohli-led side by a whopping 333 runs in the four-match series opener in Pune, the visitors head to Bengaluru with a 1-0 series lead and genuine hope of claiming just their second series triumph in India in almost five decades.
Gillespie said that although Australia would be unwilling to change the winning side, Maxwell's ability to take the game on in the Indian conditions could bring him into contention to play his first Test match since 2014, probably at the expense of fellow all-rounder Mitchell Marsh.
"I think it'd be unlikely (they'd make any changes).I think the only guy under pressure to keep his spot will be Mitchell Marsh, who didn't bowl in the Test and is the back-up for the seamers. I think Mitch will stay in; he made 31 in the second innings in a low-scoring game so he's probably done enough, just, to hang on," cricket.com.au quoted Gillespie as saying.
Insisting that Maxwell is an 'underrated long-form' player, Gillespie said that the former has ability to judge length very quickly and, therefore he could be quite fearless and take the attack to the Indian spinners.
"But if they feel they can get away with two seamers, I'd be tempted to potentially play someone like Maxwell. He's a fine player of spin (and) I think he's an underrated long-form player," Gillespie said.
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"The reason I say that is he judges length very quickly and that's the key to batting. And I think on these surfaces he could be quite fearless and take the attack to the Indian spinners. And I think he could do a decent job," he added.
Australia are touring India for a full Test series for the first time since they were whitewashed 0-4 by the hosts in the 2012-13 season. The Aussies later defeated India 2-0 in a four-Test rubber played Down Under in the 2014-15 season.
Australia have not won a Test match in India since 2004 and their last series win in Asia came against Sri Lanka in 2011. They have since suffered nine straight Test losses in the subcontinent.
Meanwhile, the loss ended India's winning streak of 19 matches on the trot and also the 17 match home-winning streak. This was also Kohli's first defeat as captain in Test cricket at home.
The two sides will lay their second match from March 4 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.