DHARAMSALA: All-rounder Glenn Maxwell’s future in the Australia Test side is far from secure, especially if captain Steve Smith does not consider him as a regular spin bowling option, former skipper Michael Clarke has said.

Maxwell scored his maiden century in the third Test against India at Ranchi on his return to the longest format of the game after more than two years last week but bowled only four of Australia’s 210 overs.

Clarke believes playing conditions, particularly in Australia where England are touring at the end of the year, may force Steve Smith to pick a fast bowling all-rounder ahead of Maxwell.

“Conditions will dictate which way they go when they get back to Australia,” Clarke said in a live chat on his Facebook page. “Will they want the fourth fast-bowling option as the all-rounder, or will they stay with Glenn Maxwell?

“Especially if Steve Smith is not bowling Maxi, then he becomes a legitimate batsman so he’s got to be making a lot of runs to stay in the team.”

Clarke also derided an Australian newspaper report which compared Indian captain Virat Kohli to US President Donald Trump because of his ‘continual perpetuation of fake news’.

The report, which focused on a row over whether Smith had mocked Kohli’s shoulder injury during the second Test, was laughable, Clarke said.

“I find it quite funny and am sure Virat will also find it quite funny,” said Clarke.

Meanwhile, Indian batsman Cheteshwar Pujara defended Virat Kohli Thursday against a barrage of criticism from the Australian media, insisting his outspoken skipper was one of cricket’s great ambassadors.

Pujara said he regretted how the series had been dogged by controversy but said the home side were all behind Kohli.“He is a great leader and so we are fully supporting him,” Pujara told reporters.

Kohli has been in the cross-hairs of the Australian media after accusing his opposite number Steve Smith of systematically abusing the decision review system (DRS) in the second Test in Bangalore.

Smith has admitted breaching the DRS rules by looking up to his own dressing-room to seek advice over whether to review an lbw dismissal, but he insists it was a one-off ‘brain-fade’.

“I think it’s really sad to hear such comments. We fully support Virat and he is one of the great ambassadors of this game,” Pujara said.

Published in Dawn, March 24th, 2017