Glenn Maxwell played arguably one of the finest ODI knocks of all time against Afghanistan, scoring an unbeaten 201 in 128 balls, battling cramps and extreme humidity to help Australia into the semi-final of the 2023 World Cup.
Australia chased down Afghanistan from a deficit of 292 runs and lost 91-7, making it the best ODI chase ever at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Maxwell, who was given two lifelines and hit the ground running after an LBW appeal overturned by DRS, went on to play a record-breaking knock, scoring 69 per cent of his team’s runs himself.
He was alsothe first batter to hit a second base hitter, and all 10 batters to date had 200 or more home runs. The previous best score in the second innings of a men’s ODI was Fakhar Zaman’s 193 against South Africa two years ago.
Maxwell became the first Australian batsman to score a men’s ODI double ton and finished with the highest individual score by a player from his country. He surpassed his 185* score scored by Shane Watson against Bangladesh in 2011.
This is also the first time that a non-opener has scored over 200 runs in an ODI innings, which is the highest individual score for a player batting at number three or lower. This also makes him the third batsman to score a double century in a World Cup, with Chris Gayle (215) and Martin Guptill (237*) achieving this feat in 2015. Ever since I achieved it.
Maxwell and Pat Cummins’ unbeaten 202-run stand also broke records, becoming the highest-ever eight-wicket stand in an ODI. Cummins contributed a strike rate of just 12 of 68 pitches. He scored 17.65 in the partnership, making him the seventh slowest 10-over shot in a 50-over match. It was also the first time this century that a batsman scored more than his 10 runs at a strike rate of less than his 18 and won the match.
Australia qualified for the second semi-final of the competition.
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