In an astonishing display of cricket, Glenn Maxwell, the Australian cricketer, played a remarkable inning at the World Cup, achieving an incredible unbeaten double-century. This fantastic performance led Australia to a thrilling three-wicket in Aus vs Afg at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, India.
Maxwell, who is 35 years old, wreaked havoc on Afghanistan’s bowlers, hitting them all over the field. He teamed up with captain Pat Cummins to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. When Maxwell came to bat, Australia was struggling at 49-4, with Josh Inglis just dismissed for a golden duck. However, Maxwell got two lifelines as he was dropped by Hashmatullah Shahidi and Mujeeb ur Rehman.
Afghanistan’s bowlers had initially caused problems for Australian batters and seemed on course for victory. But Maxwell singlehandedly turned the game in Australia’s favor with his aggressive batting, leaving Afghanistan’s team with no choice but to suffer.
Cummins provided crucial support to Maxwell, playing a calm and sensible innings, scoring 12 runs off 68 balls. In the final overs, Maxwell struggled with cramps and was unable to run, but he continued to play aggressive shots without using footwork.
Notably, Glenn Maxwell made history by becoming the first batter to score a double century in a one-day international chase. He also became the first player to score two centuries in a World Cup edition while batting at No. 5 or lower.
Batting first, Ibrahim Zadran stood out as the first Afghan batter to score a century in the World Cup’s history. While other Afghan batters couldn’t post big scores, Zadran, who opened the innings, stayed till the end, helping his team achieve a competitive total.
Rashid Khan provided significant support to Zadran during the last five overs, playing a rapid innings and scoring 35 runs off just 18 deliveries with two fours and three sixes. Contributions from Rahmat Shah (30), captain Hashmatullah Shahidi (26), and Azmatullah Omarzai (22) also played a role in Afghanistan’s total.
Among the Australian bowlers, only Josh Hazlewood met expectations, conceding 39 runs in nine overs and taking two crucial wickets.
Following this match, Afghanistan is set to face South Africa in another crucial and must-win game on November 9, while Australia will take on Bangladesh on November 11 in their last group match.
Australia Playing 11 against Afghanistan
Australia Playing 11:
- Travis Head
- David Warner
- Mitchell Marsh
- Marnus Labuschagne
- Josh Inglis(w)
- Glenn Maxwell
- Marcus Stoinis
- Pat Cummins(c)
- Mitchell Starc
- Adam Zampa
- Josh Hazlewood