Glenn Maxwell’s record-breaking double-century that helped Australia battle again to beat Afghanistan and seal a spot within the World Cup semi-finals has been described because the “biggest ODI innings ever”.
The three-time champions, focusing on 292 for victory, slumped to 91 for seven earlier than turning issues round because of Maxwell’s breathtaking unbeaten 201, which got here off 128 balls and included 21 fours and 10 sixes.
And his innings was made all of the extra extraordinary as a result of he spent a big portion of it in excruciating ache and unable to maneuver as a result of cramp.
“Simply ridiculous!” Australian captain Pat Cummins informed Sky Sports activities.
“It is obtained to be the best ODI innings that is ever occurred, it is a kind of days the place you simply go, ‘When that occurred, I used to be right here within the stadium’.”
It was with the final of his 10 sixes that the 35-year-old all-rounder wrapped up the win with 19 deliveries to go.
It was the highest-ever rating by an Australian in a one-day worldwide, because the staff achieved the very best profitable ODI run chase on the Wankhede Stadium.
The bottom had seen historical past made earlier with Afghanistan recording their maiden World Cup century, Ibrahim Zadran posting an unbeaten 112.
He was handled for cramp and again hassle
Australia’s reply began badly with Travis Head being dismissed for a duck by Naveen-ul-Haq with solely 4 runs on the board.
And the wickets continued to go as Pat Cummins’ males stumbled to 49 for 4 after Azmatullah Omarzai took the scalps of David Warner and Josh Inglis in consecutive balls.
When Mitchell Starc was ousted – regardless of questions over whether or not the ball had hit his bat – through an excellent catch from wicketkeeper Ikram Alikhil to depart Australia at 91 for seven within the nineteenth over, Afghanistan appeared to be closing in on a well-known victory.
However Maxwell then took centre stage with a surprising show to push Australia to victory.
Having been dropped and survived an lbw enchantment on evaluation, he went on to register boundary after boundary, regardless that at occasions he appeared to be in appreciable discomfort and struggling to run.
Maxwell’s innings has been described as ‘the perfect ever’
In a position to proceed after receiving therapy on the sector, he subsequently accomplished his double-century – and Australia’s win – in becoming style by crashing one more most that took his partnership with Cummins (12) to 202.
Third-placed Australia advance into the final 4, becoming a member of India and South Africa, forward of ending their group matches by enjoying Bangladesh in Pune on Saturday.
Afghanistan stay sixth, with certainly one of them, New Zealand or Pakistan set to make the semi-finals – they face South Africa in Ahmedabad on Friday.