Maxwell hopeful of India berth despite 'tight' timeline

Glenn Maxwell is still hopeful of a dream Test comeback in India despite the star allrounder recovering from a broken leg, but Australia coach Andrew McDonald admits it will be touch and go.

The 34-year-old fractured his left fibula in a bizarre accident during a backyard party for a friend's 50th birthday in Melbourne on Saturday.

Maxwell underwent surgery on Sunday and will miss an extended period, including the start of KFC BBL|12.

But the Melbourne Stars captain is targeting a return for the BBL club and still wants to be considered for the blockbuster battle for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in February.

"Speaking to Glenn directly, he's pretty hopeful of getting back towards the end of the BBL tournament and then targeting the Indian Test tour," Stars coach David Hussey said on RSN.

"Everyone knows what a wonderful player of spin he is and he has Indian experience.

"There's a few goals for him to obtain and that makes the rehabilitation process more focused – so he can try and achieve those goals."

One of the world's finest white-ball cricketers, Maxwell last played a Test back in 2017 but was a strong chance to be included in the squad for the four-match tour India in what shapes as potentially his last chance of earning a place for Australia in the five-day format.

Maxwell had been intending to make a return to the Marsh Sheffield Shield for the first time in three years in Victoria's clash with Tasmania at the MCG next week to reignite his lingering red-ball aspirations.

On Australia's last tour of India in 2017, Maxwell scored a brilliant 104 in Ranchi. He has played all seven of his Test matches in Asia and was close to earning a recall in Sri Lanka in July.

But today McDonald revealed Maxwell's timeline to prove his fitness for an Indian Test tour berth is "tight".

"All has gone well with the surgery so it's looking like he'll be on track for (a return) later in the summer, which is great news for Glenn, but a lot of rehab to go through (before then)," he said on SEN Radio.

"He was on track to play one of his first red-ball games for a while (and) for the one-day team, his role at No.7, the overs that he gives, the three dimensions, really takes something away from our team.

"It'll be really about how he can settle the pain, start his rehab and then if everything goes well the timeframe is realistic.

"They haven't got a definitive timeframe, they always give you a bracket of weeks.

"So there is somewhere in that the opportunity, potentially, to push his case.

"And the other thing is that we're over there for an extended period of time, we've got a big gap between Test matches two and three, also.

"It could look like missing the start of the tour and being available for the back end, so there are some options.

"But first and foremost, he's got a long way to go, step-by-step to work his way through that (rehab) and our thoughts are with him as he progresses through that."

Despite Maxwell being unlikely to play much cricket if any before the tour, McDonald said his record and experience in the subcontinent means selectors know he can offer the team something in those conditions if he can regain fitness in time.

"There's plenty of others that can as well; we've seen Matthew Renshaw this summer batting really well, Peter Handscomb, both known spin players and have been to the subcontinent before as well," McDonald said.

"So there will be a few pressing their case outside of Glenn Maxwell."

Maxwell injured himself after slipping at the party, with his leg becoming trapped under another guest.

Neither was intoxicated and the accident took place early in the evening.

Maxwell's leg-fracture is the latest in a string of bizarre injuries to cricketers.

Star England batter Jonny Bairstow was ruled out of the entire T20 World Cup after breaking his leg playing golf in September.

And just days before the tournament was due to begin, fringe Australia batter Josh Inglis suffered a serious hand injury – also playing golf – and was replaced by powerful allrounder Cameron Green.

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