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<\/p>\nGlenn Maxwell hit a remarkable double hundred to take Australia to victory against Afghanistan <\/p>\n
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Overcoming an attack of full body cramping, Glenn Maxwell\u2019s outrageous double-century to beat Afghanistan at the Cricket World Cup was quickly hailed as the greatest ODI innings of all-time by cricketing luminaries.<\/p>\n
For the Australian all-rounder, though, it was just \u201cgreat fun\u201d.<\/p>\n
Maxwell smashed an unbeaten 201 off 128 balls in Mumbai on Tuesday, single-handedly guiding Australia to an improbable three-wicket win that sealed their spot in the semi-finals.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was great fun. It just felt like it was me and Patty (Cummins) just having fun out there,\u201d he told reporters of the partnership with his captain, having come together at 91 for seven.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were keeping each other pretty calm with jokes most of the time.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen he first came out, he goes, \u2018Don\u2019t worry, they\u2019re four overs down, they\u2019re going to have an extra fielder in for the last four overs\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just tried to keep the mood nice and light. Obviously, it wasn\u2019t an ideal situation, but we just tried to relax each other as much as we could.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Glenn Maxwell dominated a partnership of 202 with his captain Pat Cummins <\/p>\n
Australia\u2019s first double-century maker in men\u2019s ODIs, Maxwell also became the first anywhere to reach 200 during an ODI chase.<\/p>\n
He became the third player to score 200 at a World Cup, following Chris Gayle\u2019s 219 against Zimbabwe in 2015 and Martin Guptill\u2019s 237 not out against West Indies in 2015.<\/p>\n
Cummins declared Maxwell\u2019s knock \u201cthe greatest ODI innings\u201d and plenty agreed, including former England captain Michael Vaughan and Australia\u2019s past master-blaster Adam Gilchrist.<\/p>\n
Former India all-rounder and cricket analyst Irfan Pathan went a step further, calling it the \u201cbest ever white ball inning\u201d on social media.<\/p>\n
Maxwell\u2019s night looked over when on 147 he slumped to the ground after taking a single. Cramped up in both legs, he also suffered a back spasm while lying down.<\/p>\n
There was talk of retiring from his innings and possibly returning but medical staff warned that coming down the stairs to return to the crease might prove impossible.<\/p>\n
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Glenn Maxwell overcame cramps to record the first ever ODI double ton by an Australian man <\/p>\n
So he elected to plough on and rely mostly on his reflexes and hands to smash anything in the zone.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo that probably made the job a bit more simple,\u201d he said. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t all just, like, chaotic swinging but there was a bit of planning to it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 35-year-old Melbourne man has produced plenty of incredible moments through a roller-coaster career but the World Cup has seen \u2018peak Maxwell\u2019.<\/p>\n
Coming back from an ankle injury, he played the second spinner role to perfection in the early matches then blasted the fastest World Cup century against the Netherlands when he raced to his hundred in 40 balls.<\/p>\n
He then suffered a concussion after falling off the back of a golf cart, missing the game against England before slotting back in to face Afghanistan.<\/p>\n
Australia play their last group stage match against Bangladesh in Pune on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Before limping off for more recovery, Maxwell joked that all the drama had happened since his family had joined him in India.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a weird, weird couple of weeks … To be in the semi-finals is a great feeling. Hopefully we enjoy a few days in Pune,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ll stay away from the golf carts.\u201d<\/p>\n