Miracle Maxwell (201*) marshals greatest run chases in ODI history

Australia’s Glenn Maxwell celebrates after winning the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup one-day international (ODI) match between Australia and Afghanistan at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai yesterday - AFP 

In an innings that defied logic and tested the limits of endurance, Glenn Maxwell on one leg hit Australia’s first double century in ODI cricket to steer his team to a sensational three-wicket win over Afghanistan in a Cricket World Cup match played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, yesterday.

The win saw Australia become the third team to qualify for the semi-finals, setting up a clash with South Africa. India is the third team to qualify.

In one of the best ODI knocks ever, Maxwell etched his name in the record books scoring an unbeaten 201 off 128 balls (21 fours, 10 sixes) to lift Australia from a position of despair at 91-7 to 293-7 as they chased down Afghanistan’s total of 291-5, which looked a challengeable score. With Australia needing five for victory and Maxwell also the same number for his double century, Maxwell finished the game off in style by heaving Mujeeb Ur Rahman for six over deep midwicket, killing two birds with one stone.

Helping Maxwell in one of the greatest run chases in World Cup and ODI history was Australian captain Pat Cummins whose contribution in the unbroken stand of 202 was 12* off 68 balls. The partnership was the highest for the eighth wicket in ODIs.

It seemed that nothing could go wrong for Maxwell yesterday as a dropped catch, a lbw overturned by DRS and edges went into gaps all worked for him. He fought exhaustion, cramps, a bad back and a motivated Afghan attack to take Australia to victory which at one time never looked like it would happen when Afghanistan were all over them capturing the first seven wickets for just 91 runs.

Ibrahim Zadran became the first batter from his country to hit a World Cup century as Afghanistan posted 291/5 after electing to bat first. At 21 years and 330 days, Zadran became the fourth youngest World Cup centurion and batted through the innings (129* off 143 balls, 8 fours, 3 sixes) to give the team their highest World Cup score.

Zadran stitched vital half-century stands of 83 with Rahmat Shah (30) and 52 with Hashmatullah Shahidi (26) but the most vital contribution of the innings came from the bat of Rashid Khan, who blazed an unbeaten 35 off just 18 balls (2 fours, 3 sixes) to move what seemed like an adequate total on a fine batting surface. Afghanistan added 75 from the final six overs to take their score close to the 300-run mark. Afghanistan have enjoyed great success in this tournament by chasing down totals, but on another muggy day in Mumbai, they chose to invert this pattern by opting to bat first. 

Scores: Afghanistan 291-5 (50) (Rahmanullah Gurbaz 21, Ibrahim Zadran 129, Rahmat Shah 30, Hashmatullah Shahidi 26, Azmatullah Omarzai 22, Rashid Khan 35*, Josh Hazlewood 2/39)

Australia 293-7 (46.5) (Mitchell Marsh 24, Glenn Maxwell 201*, Naveen-ul-Haq 2/47, Azmatullah Omarzai 2/52, Rashid Khan 2/44)