Australia’s captain, Pat Cummins, acknowledged his fortune to witness Glenn Maxwell’s sensational 201 not out during their match against Afghanistan at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Maxwell’s remarkable performance was a pivotal factor in Australia’s recovery from a challenging position of 91 for 7 to successfully chase down 292 runs and secure their place in the semi-finals.
Maxwell’s journey had its share of fortunate escapes, with an LBW decision overturned when he was on 27, and a dropped catch by Afghanistan’s Mujeeb Ur Rahman when he reached 33.
However, these incidents seemed to energize Maxwell, who adopted a counter-attacking approach, shifting the momentum back in Australia’s favor.
During this remarkable innings, Pat Cummins played a supporting role, contributing just 12 runs from 68 balls while observing the incredible performance from close quarters.
Maxwell faced significant challenges, including severe cramps due to the humid conditions in Mumbai, but he persevered and delivered what many consider one of the greatest ODI knocks in history. His innings included 10 sixes and 21 boundaries, with three of those sixes and a boundary coming in the final over, which secured Australia’s victory.
Cummins revealed that he initially thought Maxwell might need to leave the field due to his condition, but Maxie’s determination to stay out there and finish the job prevailed. Adam Zampa even came out to the boundary ropes when Maxwell was on 147, but he returned to the dressing room as Maxwell chose to stay on and ultimately completed the task in style.
“I thought he was going off, we had two new South Wales men coming in next. They were lining up, they wouldn’t have missed a thing. But, yeah, I think Zamps was on and off about three times, but Maxie wanted to stay out there,” said Cummins.
Cummins left no room for doubt, describing Maxwell’s performance as the greatest in ODI cricket history.
