Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has expressed his desire to play Test cricket for his country. Maxwell’s Test career was a tale of near misses and unrealized potential. He has not featured in a Test match for the last seven years and has played only two first-class matches in the last five years; the last one was in July 2023. Despite a vacancy in Australia’s top six for the upcoming series against India, Maxwell is staying away from the selection controversy. Maxwell felt that he could not do justice to the dream he had when he was young, and he continued to pursue the dream he had been committed to since childhood.

“I think if I gave up on that Test dream now, I wouldn’t be doing an injustice to young Glenn Maxwell, who was dying to wear Baggy Green as a kid,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “And I think while there is still a glimmer of hope, I’ll go for it,” added Maxwell as the upcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy series approaches.

Maxwell wants to play Tests for Australia

However, the prospect of being included in the squad for the Sri Lanka tour in January has reignited Maxwell’s hopes. Maxwell is fully determined to get the opportunity, especially after narrowly missing out on a place in the XI during Australia’s tour to Sri Lanka in 2022.

“I think the hardest thing about Test cricket was that it was the only thing I wanted to do when I grew up,” says Maxwell. “I definitely got my chance a little early at Test level. Once I got my chance to debut, it all happened very quickly. It was just a whirlwind. I had no idea what I was doing. I probably didn’t have the experience at it. It’s the first-class level that I wanted.

Maxwell’s freshman record

Glenn Maxwell’s first-class record – just seven centuries in 69 matches, including his only Test hundred in Ranchi – has often been a sticking point for the selectors. The lack of top scores was a recurring criticism in discussions about Test qualifications, a perception that Maxwell found frustrating.

“Then when I came back in 2017, I felt like I was a first-class cricketer ready and I was really at peace with my game and where I was. “In Test cricket a lot of these things are about timing. Adam Voges is probably a perfect example and he was on top of that match in his Test career with a 60-odd average (61.87) he got his opportunity.

“I think what I’m proud of in my Test career is that I’ve been able to compete at different times, come back into the teams and be really resilient in that way.”