Marvellous Maxwell’s incredible double-century leads Australia to a stunning victory and secures their spot in the World Cup semifinals.
In a thrilling World Cup match, Glenn Maxwell displayed incredible resilience, battling cramps as he powered his way to an outstanding, unbeaten 201 runs off 128 balls. His remarkable performance single-handedly steered Australia to an astonishing 3-wicket victory over Afghanistan, securing their spot in the semifinals. Initially, it appeared that Afghanistan was on the brink of a historic win, having reduced Australia to a precarious 91 for 7 while defending a target of 292. However, the Afghan team could only watch in awe as the Glenn Maxwell show unfolded. With the support of captain Pat Cummins, Maxwell successfully chased down Afghanistan’s total with 19 balls to spare.
In a remarkable display of grit and determination, Glenn Maxwell defied excruciating pain and exhaustion to deliver his maiden double-century, propelling Australia to a thrilling three-wicket triumph over Afghanistan at the World Cup in Mumbai on Tuesday. With his extraordinary unbeaten score of 201, Maxwell not only secured the victory but also propelled Australia into the semi-finals of the World Cup.
The stunning turnaround unfolded at the Wankhede Stadium as they snatched victory from the brink of defeat.
A Glenn Maxwell masterclass guided Australia to the #CWC23 semi-finals 👊#AUSvAFG 📝: https://t.co/SYNXNcMUf1 pic.twitter.com/dRI0X6YbkW
— ICC Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) November 7, 2023
In a remarkable turn of events, the five-time champions Australia found themselves in a precarious position at 91 for 7 during their pursuit of 292. However, Maxwell’s exceptional performance in this ODI cricket match can only be described as one of the greatest innings in the sport’s history, enabling his team to stage a remarkable comeback and secure a stunning victory.
Maxwell capitalized on his fortunate opportunities, achieving the remarkable feat of becoming just the third batsman in history to record a double century in a World Cup match.
Maxwell, famously known as ‘The Big Show,’ expressed a desire for a more fortunate life without any uncertainties. He reflected on his incredibly blessed and charmed journey so far.
Absurdity #CWC23 pic.twitter.com/vnLkgHyUbp
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 7, 2023
In a remarkable display of cricketing prowess, he compelled Afghanistan to pay the price with an extraordinary 128-ball innings, which included an impressive 21 fours and an astonishing 10 sixes. This historic feat elevated him to the esteemed company of only two other batsmen, namely New Zealand’s Martin Guptill and the West Indies’ Chris Gayle, who has achieved the remarkable milestone of scoring a double century in the World Cup.
Maxwell brilliantly concluded the game with almost three overs remaining as he powered a six off Mujeeb.
Maxwell, at the age of 35, achieved his fourth century in One-Day International (ODI) cricket out of 136 matches. Notably, he recorded his second century of the tournament, making history with the fastest hundred in men’s World Cup history. This remarkable feat was accomplished in just 40 balls against the Netherlands.
Australian captain Pat Cummins contributed valuably with an unbeaten score of 12 runs while playing a crucial role in an unbroken eighth-wicket partnership that yielded an impressive 202 runs.
In a thrilling turn of events during the late stages of the match, Maxwell, with a score of 146, experienced a sudden and severe bout of cramps while he limped to secure a crucial single.
After receiving on-field medical attention, Maxwell, who was still facing difficulties, continued to relentlessly attack Afghanistan’s bowlers with a spectacular variety of shots.
This included a remarkable six off paceman Azmatullah Omarzai, a moment that came after Maxwell denied him a hat-trick earlier.
Despite suffering this defeat, Afghanistan still has a chance to reach the semi-finals. However, they must secure a victory against the second-placed South Africa and rely on favorable outcomes in other matches to qualify for the knockout phase.
The night appeared to be Ibrahim Zadran’s, as his remarkable 129 not out in Afghanistan’s total of 291-5 marked the first century by an Afghan batsman in a World Cup.
In the 1996 quarter-final held in Chennai, Australia found themselves in a situation where they needed to surpass their previous highest winning score of 287 to secure victory against New Zealand in a World Cup match.
Opener Travis Head was dismissed without scoring, caught behind off a brilliant delivery from Naveen-ul-Haq that sharply seamed away. Naveen-ul-Haq also claimed the wicket of Mitchell Marsh, who was adjudged leg before wicket (lbw) after scoring 24 runs.
Australia’s score of 43-2 quickly turned into 49-4, with Omarzai delivering successive blows. He clean-bowled the seasoned opener David Warner after the left-hander attempted an ungainly shot across the line, and Josh Inglis edged the ball to the first slip on the very next delivery.
Maxwell narrowly escaped the hat-trick, as he edged the ball just short of wicketkeeper Ikram Alikhil.
Australia found themselves at 69-5 as a result of a misunderstanding between Maxwell and Marnus Labuschagne. In an unfortunate turn of events, Rahmat Shah’s precise throw from midwicket resulted in Labuschagne being run out. Subsequently, leg-spinner Rashid Khan dismissed Marcus Stoinis and Mitchell Starc, much to the delight of the cheering crowd, as Afghanistan gained momentum.
However, Maxwell’s significant intervention came when Australia was struggling at 112-7.
Zadran, the opening batsman, propelled Afghanistan to their highest-ever World Cup total, surpassing the 288 runs they scored against the West Indies at Headingley in 2019.
Australia managed to maintain control over Afghanistan despite losing the toss, although they faced difficulties in taking wickets. Zadran achieved his fifth century in just 27 ODIs, accomplishing the feat in 131 balls with seven boundaries.
