Updated January 20th, 2020 at 16:28 IST

Virat Kohli surprised by Australia's decision to drop Glenn Maxwell from ODI plans

Australian skipper Aaron Finch led his team to a great victory in Mumbai but could not sustain the momentum as Australia lost the series against India 2-1.

Reported by: Mrigank Pandey
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After Australia scripted themselves a historic win in the first ODI of the recently-concluded 3-match series in India, the Indian side came back strongly to take home the trophy after winning 2 ODIs. Many cricket fans were surprised after Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell continued to play in the Big Bash as the Australian side toured India for the recently concluded 3-match ODI series. Would Glenn Maxwell's presence have changed Australia's fortunes?

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Aaron Finch does not believe in Glenn Maxwell's form

According to a leading news agency, after the match, Australia captain Aaron Finch was asked about Glenn Maxwell's absence from the squad and the captain's reply was quite shocking to some. Finch replied and established that in his judgement, Maxwell's form was not up to the mark yet and he did not fit in the top 7 batsmen that Australia play in ODI cricket at present. Finch added that Maxwell could earn a recall to the national team if there is a role that the 31-year-old all-rounder could fill in the team. Virat Kohli, the winning skipper, also expressed his surprise when he saw that Maxwell was not a part of the visiting squad. Kohli felt that Maxwell's off-spin could have been of some use to the Aussie squad.

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Glenn Maxwell's return from a self-imposed break

Glenn Maxwell started a brave trend in cricket last year when he took a break from the game owing to poor mental health. Maxwell's break from the gentlemen's game prompted other cricketers to take breaks too and the general awareness around issues pertaining to mental health got a lot of attention. However, Maxwell made a return to cricket in the Big Bash League where he has captained the Melbourne Stars with great success. His personal form has been good too and his team is currently first in the points table. At the 2020 IPL Auction, Maxwell was re-purchased by the Kings XI Punjab for a massive sum of INR 10.75 crores.

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Published January 20th, 2020 at 16:19 IST