The world was not ready to witness what Glenn Maxwell put on display at the Wankhede Stadium a couple of nights ago. The stars had to align inexplicably to allow Maxwell to slam 201 unbeaten runs against a side with a commanding victory against the five-time champions within touching distance. At 91/7, when Australia needed 201 runs to cross the winning line, not even the greatest believer of miracles would have imagined Maxwell would go on to score a match-winning double-hundred for his team.
Battling his cramped legs and spasmed back, Glenn Maxwell stitched an unbroken partnership worth 202 runs with skipper Pat Cummins to see Australia through to the semi-finals. Not to mention, Cummins played the ideal partner by seeing off 68 crucial deliveries though contributing just 12 runs. With a healthy tinge of luck in the form of dropped catches and inconsistent bowling lengths going their way, Australia, and particularly Maxwell, scripted history and broke a bunch of nasty records.
Stats from Glenn Maxwell’s juggernaut innings against Afghanistan:
201* runs scored by Maxwell is the highest individual score by a non-opener in ODIs as he surpassed Zimbabwe’s Charles Coventry’s score of 194* against Bangladesh in 2009.
First – Glenn Maxwell became the first batter to score a double hundred in the second innings of a One Day International.
Three – Maxwell has struck three World Cup hundreds while batting at No.5 or below. No other batter has done it more than once.
128 balls taken by Maxwell to reach his double hundred was the second-lowest number of balls ever taken by a batter. India’s Ishan Kishan holds the record for the fastest ODI 200 as he achieved the milestone in just 126 balls against Bangladesh last year.
First – The right-hander became the first Australian male batter to hit a double century in ODIs. Shane Watson has the second-highest ODI score for Australia as the former all-rounder smashed 185 runs against Bangladesh in 2011.
Third – Glenn Maxwell’s score of 201* runs is the third-highest score in ODI World Cup history. New Zealand’s Martin Guptill (237*) and West Indies’ Chris Gayle (215) are the only players ahead of him on the list.
Second – Maxwell became the second player after Chris Gayle (215 runs and 2/35) to score a double hundred and take a wicket in the same ODI in men’s cricket. Apart from his double ton, Maxwell picked up the wicket of Rahmat Shah in the game and returned the bowling figures of 1/55.
202* runs added by Maxwell and Cummins for the eighth wicket is the highest partnership for a seventh or lower wicket in ODIs. England’s Jos Buttler and Adil Rashid held the previous best record with their 177-run partnership against New Zealand in 2015.
10 – Maxwell struck 10 sixes against Afghanistan and achieved the record for most sixes in a World Cup innings by an Australian, surpassing David Warner and Mitchell Marsh who hammered nine sixes each against Pakistan earlier in the competition.
Credit to Maxwell’s heroics and Cummins’ resilience, Australia completed their highest-ever run chase in ODI World Cup history. Their previous best came way back in 1996 when they chased 287 runs against New Zealand in the quarter-final of the tournament.
Needless to say, the match etched itself into the history books and Glenn Maxwell’s knock has already been handed the tag of the greatest knock ever played in white-ball cricket by numerous experts and fans. “From Max pressure to Max performance! This has been the best ODI knock I’ve seen in my life.”, touted Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar after the game.
The voice of cricket Harsha Bhogle also posted on his X handle post the match. He wrote, “Maxwell’s place in history just got guaranteed. It has to be the greatest white ball innings played”. Moreover, Ian Bishop posted, “Glenn Maxwell reminded us tonight about the intrinsic beauty, unpredictability and inspiring drama of this wonderful game. Thank you”.
Glenn Maxwell’s show has left every cricket fan in awe and it will take some time for the fans to get over it. Surely, the Australian team will also look to move on from the celebrations and focus on their next game. The team has already cemented its position in the knockouts and, in all likelihood, will lock horns with South Africa to enter another World Cup final.
FAQs
What is Glenn Maxwell’s highest ODI score?
Glenn Maxwell achieved his highest ODI score in 201* runs against Afghanistan in Mumbai.
What is the biggest score Australia have chased in ODI cricket?
Australia chased 359 runs against India in 2019 in Mohali.
What is the update on Glenn Maxwell’s injury?
After the match, skipper Cummins stated that Maxwell was fine and should be available for the next game.
