IPL 2014: 5 Features of Glenn Maxwell School of Dominance

Glenn Maxwell has been the star of the show so far in IPL 2014. 7 Matches, 435Runs, averaging 62.14, striking at over 203, 27 sixes, 41fours: those are eerily outrageous numbers, to say the least.After their ordinary campaign last year, who would have thought that Kings XI Punjab would be the side to beat in the very next season? Now that it is, a lions share of credit must go to The Big Show', who single-handedly won his team three games on the trot.Here are a few characteristic features of Maxwell's destructive batting:

#5 Contempt for the bowlers

Maxwell loves intimidating the bowlers. He seems to be fully aware of the fact that once he punishes a bowler, the bowler fears getting hit again, no matter how good he may be. This incites him to further kill the confidence, if any, left in the bowler by going all out attacking.

In an interview with Alternative Cricket, he reveals his reading of a bowler’s mentality, saying, "I think when a bowler knows he’s got someone on top of him, they just go underwater. Especially the Indian side, I don’t think they deal too well with someone being on top of them.”

In the opening fixture of this year’s IPL, the duel between Maxwell and Ravichandran Ashwin was revealing of what he had meant; once Maxwell started picking Ashwin’s carrom deliveries, the latter had nowhere to hide as he was outfoxed time and again with the Australian's improvisation.

#4 Serene and self-assured

Maxwell oozes confidence. He knows how good he is and wants the world to know the same, as well.

Chasing 192 against a determined Royals attack was never going to be easy. Maxwell had his task cut-out as KXIP needed 181 runs from 17.2 overs when he walked in. The asking rate was high, so was his determination to achieve the target. His partner was a sluggish Pujara, who couldn't connect a single ball with his full blade in his unbeaten innings.

In the opposition, there was a bowler by the name of Rajat Bhatia, who was boring batsmen down with his slower deliveries. Despite the odds stacked against him, he kept discovering new ways and means of scoring runs, powering his way to a match-winning 89 off 54 deliveries.

There's no way pressure can get the better of him. He will keep smashing them. If it comes off, great! If it doesnt, never mind!

#3 Audacious Aussie brand

Maxwell is a typical firebrand Kangaroo. Fearless and unfettered, Maxwell loves flirting with danger irrespective of the match situation. As a batsman, he carries an air of superiority about him. He doesn’t need to make an extra effort to rein supreme; Domination comes naturally to him.

Maxi seems to endorse the romantic ideals of war: a soldier must have the guts to take the highest risk so as to earn the treasured reward.

He is much more than just being a modern player, for example, the modern day strategy while chasing is to take the game as deep as possible. Maxwell, however, would want to kill the chase as early as possible, no matter how big it may be. He is an Australian for a reason!

#2 Sweet timer of the cricket ball

In the midst of all the talk surrounding his ‘blind’ hitting, one aspect that remains uncovered is the way he times the ball. The frequency at which he finds the middle of the bat is incredible, considering the fact that he looks to whack almost every delivery he faces.

Perhaps, it is this part of his game that makes him much more entertaining and delightful than even Chris Gayle, whose unnatural power compensates for his mistimes shots.

On the other hand, Maxwell sparingly miscues his strokes. Irrespective of how long the ball travels, it always looks like a well-timed slog that catches the eye and not the other way around.

His cover drive deserve a special mention; Maxwell belongs to a rare class of dashers who play a beautiful cover drive.

#1 Dexterous manipulator

Those who believe that Maxwell’s an inane, soft-witted tonker of the ball don’t pay heed to the way he reads the game. He indeed clubs the ball but has enough weight of reason for doing what he does. Getting the placement dead right on almost every occasion can’t be brushed aside as pure luck.

In an interview with Iplt20.com, Maxwell said,”I actually try to manipulate the fielders as much as I can. It depends on the bowler and the size of the boundary, which I try to target. I just try to target areas that I feel are my strengths and also survey the field.”

He has an incredible range of shots and the capacity to unfurl the right shot at the right time.