Australia’s captain, Pat Cummins, praised Glenn Maxwell’s remarkable double century in the World Cup, referring to it as the “greatest innings.”
Despite battling an injury, the dynamic batsman played a crucial role in securing a thrilling three-wicket victory over Afghanistan in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 match held at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday.
Glenn Maxwell delivered an extraordinary performance, scoring an unbeaten 201 runs from 128 balls, which included 21 fours and 10 sixes. His remarkable display helped Australia, five-time champions, bounce back from a precarious position of 91-7 to successfully chase down the target of 292 runs.
“Just ridiculous. I don’t know how you describe that,” said Pat Cummins. “A great win but Maxi was just out of this world. It’s got to be the greatest ODI innings that has ever happened.”
Pat Cummins played a supporting role in Australia’s victory, contributing an unbeaten 12 runs from 68 balls as the team secured their spot in the semi-finals.
“It’s one of those days where you can just think, ‘yep, when that happened I was there in the stadium’ and feel very lucky,” added Pat Cummins.
Glenn Maxwell experienced a stroke of luck during his innings, surviving a dropped catch when he was on 33. He persevered through cramps to guide his team to victory and effectively used a review to overturn an early lbw decision against him.
He entered the match after sitting out the previous one against England due to a concussion he sustained from a fall off the back of a golf buggy.
Expressing his condition, Glenn Maxwell mentioned, “I feel terrible. The heat during our fielding stint was quite intense, and I haven’t been doing a lot of high-intensity exercise in such conditions. It really got to me today, and I consider myself fortunate to have seen it through to the end.”
Glenn Maxwell, famously known as the ‘Big Show,’ has showcased excellent form throughout the tournament, notably achieving a record-breaking century in just 40 balls earlier in the World Cup.
“It would’ve been nice if it was chanceless, I’ve lived a very charmed life out there. To make the most of it, be not out with Patty out there at the end I’m proud of,” he added.
Afghanistan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi was stunned by the turn of events. He said, “Really disappointed. Cricket is a funny game, it was unbelievable.”
