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The most incredible double century from a debilitated Glenn Maxwell has driven Australia to one of the most amazing World Cup victories of all time, beating Afghanistan by three wickets to shore up a semi-final berth.
Riddled with cramp and collapsing in pain at one stage, Maxwell finished unbeaten on 201 from just 128 balls, finishing the match with a six to claim victory, Australia’s sixth in a row. It was just the third double century in World Cup history and the first in a run chase.
Victory came with his 10th six to go with 21 fours in a partnership of 202 with Pat Cummins, who made just 12 not out from 68 balls as Australia recovered from a seemingly hopeless 7/91 to finish 7/293, winning with 19 balls remaining.
“It’s pretty cool,” Maxwell said he stood bracing himself in the change rooms after the match to avoid further cramping. “It’s so fresh at the moment. I’m a bit numb to it. It was great. It was great fun.
“It just felt like it was me and Patty (Cummins) just having fun out there. I’ll probably reflect a little bit more over the next few days and hopefully recover and get some movement back in my hamstrings and calves, but it’s a bit sore at the moment.
Just a fortnight ago Maxwell scored the fastest century in World Cup history from just 40 balls against the Netherlands, while last week he fell off the back of a golf cart, suffering concussion which ruled him out of last Saturday’s victory over England.
Glenn Maxwell celebrates a remarkable Australian victory.Credit: AP
Third-placed Australia will now meet second-placed South Africa in a semi-final next week, with both teams sitting on six wins from eight matches, while unbeaten India’s semi-final opponent will come from New Zealand, Pakistan and Afghanistan, who all have four wins with a match to play.
Australia’s match against Bangladesh on Saturday now has no bearing on the finals.
Cummins described Maxwell’s performance as “the greatest one-day innings ever.”
“We were just chatting about it, all the players, and we’ve decided it’s one of those days where you just go, I was there in the stadium the day Glenn Maxwell chased down that total by himself’,” the captain said.
Cummins thought that Maxwell’s heroic innings was over and he would be forced to retire hurt as he collapsed after taking a run on 147, suffering multiple cramps, with Australia still needing 55 from 58 balls. The captain summoned No.10 Adam Zampa to come down from the change rooms.
Australian captain Pat Cummins was a patient foil for the rampant Maxwell.Credit: AP
“He (Maxwell) literally couldn’t move, then the physio (Ben Jones) was out there obviously and he kind of convinced Maxie that if he came off, he might be worse off. ‘Try and hang out there, stand up, and that’s probably your best bet. Because once you go off with that much cramp, there’s no guarantee you’re going to get back out there’.”
Maxwell was forced to swing while rooted to the crease unable to run as he mounted what had initially appeared a hopeless rearguard action.
Surviving a leg before wicket review on 27, and dropped catch on 33, Maxwell’s first 100 runs came in 76 balls with the second 50 in 25 balls. But there were no exuberant celebrations with more than a 100 still needed at a run a ball.
Ibrahim Zadran’s maiden World Cup century for Afghanistan looked like stealing the headlines for much of the match.Credit: Getty
It was Australia’s highest successful World Cup run chase, bettering the 287 they made against New Zealand in the 1996 quarter-final at Chennai.
As Afghanistan began claiming Australian wickets they became increasingly chirpy, with Rashid Khan and David Warner having an extended and animated conversation, while Mitch Marsh, returning to the team following a trip home to mourn the death of his grandfather, turned his head and pointed his bat towards a celebrating Afghanistan huddle when he was dismissed for 24 from 11 balls.
In a night of firsts, Ibrahim Zadran scored Afghanistan’s maiden World Cup century – 129 from 143 balls with three sixes and eight fours – propelling the country to their highest World Cup score of 5/291.
It looked for some time Afghanistan may also claim their first ODI victory over Australia, until Maxwell intervened.
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