Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has praised Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell for his crucial knock against Afghanistan which helped the team reach the semi-finals of the 2023 ODI World Cup. He was speechless when comparing his batting performance to that of the United States. Kapil Deb, the legendary Indian captain of the 1983 World Cup.
Defending the score of 292, Afghanistan’s bowlers put pressure on the Australian batsmen. They did them a lot of damage with the new ball, reducing the five-time champions to 91/7 in 18.3 overs. At this point it looked like Australia would suffer a crushing defeat.
Glenn Maxwell made history by playing one of the greatest shots of all time. In a 292-run chase, he scored his first double century at 201* (128) in the second innings of an ODI match. He also made his mark in ODI history as he became the first Australian to score 200 runs in the 50 over format.
Ravi Shastri received his
“Amazing. Reminds me of the 1983 Cups.”
Stunning. Reminds me of Kaps of 83.@Gmaxi_32 @therealkapildev @ICC @cricketworldcup #AUSvsAFG #Cricket pic.twitter.com/z4YhFh3Ges
– Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc) 7. 2023 November
The Australian all-rounder missed a few catches but made the most of his chances in the match. He then overcame severe cramps that severely limited his range of motion and caused excruciating pain to cross the Australian finish line.
Glenn Maxwell and Pat Cummins combined for 202 runs, the latter scoring a vital 12 from 68 balls. Shastri likened Maxwell to World Cup-winning team captain Kapil Dev, who adopted a similar strategy against Zimbabwe to help India achieve a competitive record in the match.
Kapil Dev’s team struggled at one point with just 5 wins and 17 losses. He hit an unbeaten 175 pitches, including 16 fours and six sixes in 138 pitches. Thanks to his knock, India won the match by 31 runs. On the other hand, Australia won by three wickets and advanced to the semi-finals.
Australia sealed their place in the top four at the 2023 World Cup with a thrilling victory over Afghanistan today. With this win, Pat Cummins’ team officially qualified for the semi-finals. After eight games, the Australians have 12 points so far.
Even with one match left, they will definitely finish second or third in the final standings and could face South Africa in the second semi-final of the mega event.
