Glenn Maxwell produced an all-time great ODI innings in Match 39 of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 between Australia and Afghanistan at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Tuesday (November 7).
Chasing 292 to win, Australia were reeling at 91 for 7 before Maxwell slammed an incredible double hundred to snatch the victory from jaws of defeat for his team.
Maxwell pulled off this heroic despite battling cramps and back spasm. The pain was so severe that he stopped taking singles and doubles at one stage.
However, the dashing right-hander unleashed some outrageous shots as he smashed 21 fours and 10 sixes en route to his match-winning knock of 201 not out in 128 balls.
After the game, Maxwell revealed how close he was to retiring hurt during his jaw-dropping innings.
"It was certainly in our discussions. We talked about coming off, trying to get some work into my back and trying to loosen up my legs a little bit,” Maxwell told reporters.
"Jonesy (Australia physio Nick Jones) said it would be really hard to come back out down the stairs after that so probably made the job a little bit more simple and then we came up with let's just stay at the same end for as long as we can until you sort of feel like you can at least walk at the other end or if there's an easy single here and there.
"For a while if I can get one or two boundaries from one end it didn't really matter what happened at the other end because we got it to around a run and ball at that stage. There was a certain planning, it wasn't all just chaotic swinging but there was a bit of planning to it," he added.
During his herculean knock, Maxwell forged an unbroken 202-run partnership with Pat Cummins in which the Australian captain contributed only 12 not out off 68 balls.
"I think when Patty was pretty calm, I think when it got to about maybe 60 or 70 (runs required), I thought two more, maybe half decent overs of around 15 and It's right in the balance,” Maxwell said.
"We knew Rashid (Khan) had about 18 balls left and that it was going to happen in the last 13 overs or something like that. So, as long as we sort of kept him out of game, I felt like I could hit boundaries off the others.
"I was sort of more about negating him, not letting him have a shot at the rest of the tail because he's obviously world class.
“He can hit you on the pad and he can beat you both sides of the bat. So, I just felt like if we could negate him and keep him out of the back end of the game, we'd be all right."
Maxwell missed Australia's match against England on November 4 after suffering concussion in a golf-related incident. On his return, he played an innings of a lifetime to propel Australia to the semi-final of the World Cup.
"It's been weird, weird couple of weeks, weeks but I extremely grateful to be able to get back out here and make the semis,” Maxwell remarked.
“I think after the first two games we were pretty close to written off by most people and to be able to get string six wins together at the right time and we didn't have our best stuff tonight against a pretty spirited opposition so to be in the semis is great.”
(cricketworldcup.com inputs)
