'Best bowler in all three formats': Glenn Maxwell's high praise for India star

All-rounder Glenn Maxwell feels Australia's success in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy is directly linked to how its batters defeat Indian spin ace duo Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. India is aiming for its third consecutive series win in the Antipodean country after claiming epoch-making victories in the 2018-19 and 2020-21 tours. In fact, India remains the only Asian nation to have beaten Australia in a Test series on their home soil. Maxwell said Ashwin and Jadeja often dictated the course of the game. “I think that over a long period of time, having played against the likes of Ashwin and Jadeja, these two have always been the ones we have consistently competed against and the battles we have had with them have often “Outcome determines the game,” Maxwell told Star Sports.

Maxwell, who is no longer in the Australian Test cricket program after playing his last game in 2017, said the Australians need to cancel the experienced Indian spinners.

The Ashwin-Jadeja combine has taken a whopping 821 wickets in 330 innings with 50 five-wicket hauls so far.

“If we play well against these two (Ashwin, Jadeja), we will generally be in a better position than if they had a great day and overtook us.

“Those two guys were there for most of my career because they were the same age,” he added.

Maxwell also praised pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah for his development as an all-format bowler.

The Victorian described Bumrah as the best company in the industry at the moment.

“…And probably, more recently, Jasprit Bumrah. I was there in his first year of the IPL in Mumbai in 2013 and faced him practically every day in the nets.

“To see him develop from a young, untapped talent to what he is now – probably the best bowler in all three formats – is a pretty amazing story,” he remarked.

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