“We’ve got Greeny there as a high-class quick bowler, Head, Marnus [Labuschagne], so think it makes it a bit easier to know we’ve got plenty of bowling if needed,” Cummins said. “Even Nathan Lyon can lock him in from one end for most of the day. If the wicket plays a lot of tricks, think the batting is the area you have to try and find those extra 20-30 runs somewhere.
If Maxwell does play it would be his first first-class match since 2019 but, echoing comments Maxwell himself has made about domestic cricket in Australia being so far removed from these conditions, Cummins did not see that being an issue.
“It’s pretty different first-class cricket here to what you might experience in the Sheffield Shield,” he said. “It’s a different pace, the wickets are so different, so the role we’d see him in his bit of bowling, bit of extra batting at No. 8 and taking the game on. Might not be grinding out a hundred, but a quickfire 30 or 40 could be invaluable.”
The final decision on the XI will be made close to the toss on Friday morning with Cummins wanting to have another couple of looks at the pitch. “Probably feels a bit harder than it did last week, bit of grass on there but they are mowing it now,” he said.