Australia could be handed another major blow before the start of the ODI series against India in March after star all-rounder Glenn Maxwell got injured. The talisman who was playing in his first match after returning from a leg injury did not bat in the second innings of the Sheffield Shield contest for Victoria. The injury could be a major blow for the Aussies who are already nursing a number of their star players while there are still two more games to go in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar series.
Maxwell forced off
Glenn Maxwell was forced to leave the field with a wrist complaint during Victoria’s Sheffield Shield clash against South Australia at Junction Oval, marring his long-awaited return to red-ball cricket.
The 34-year-old was struck on the wrist while fielding at first slip on Tuesday morning, immediately dropping to the floor in noticeable discomfort — he left the field clutching his arm and didn’t return for the remainder of South Australia’s first innings.
A Cricket Victoria spokesperson confirmed Maxwell had been cleared of any fractures after undergoing scans, with medical staff clearing him to bat in the second innings. But the right-hander didn’t last long at the crease on Tuesday afternoon, bowled by Redbacks seamer Wes Agar for a second-ball duck.
Maxwell, who scored 5 in the first innings, recently recovered from a broken leg that kept him sidelined for the entire Big Bash League.
“I don’t think ‘Maxi’ drinks enough milk,” cricket commentator Adam White told SEN Mornings.
“He had the broken leg and now there’s genuine fears he may have a fracture in his wrist.
“He’s left the field, he’s spent a fair bit of time with the medicos, it’s just a question now to (what the injury is).
“It is cold down here, so maybe it’s just a bruise and he can go back out there.
“But at this stage he’s being assessed … there was a flurry of activity with the Victorian medical team, the Australian medical officer’s down there as well.
“So, fingers crossed, but it didn’t look good, he was in a lot of pain as he left the field.”
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Maxwell to make ODI return?
Maxwell is targeting an international return at next month’s ODI series in India, which gets underway on March 17. Currently the likes of David Warner, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc are on the treatment table while Pat Cummins has returned home due to personal reasons.
