ICC Men's ODI World Cup: Glenn Maxwell’s unbelievable 201 takes Australia past Afghans

MUMBAI: Severely cramping and hardly able to move, Glenn Maxwell played one of the greatest one-day innings, hitting a 128-ball 201 not out to help Australia grab a three-wicket victory from the jaws of defeat against Afghanistan in Match 39 and sealed a semifinal spot for his team in the ICC Men's ODI World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium here on Tuesday.

Australia looked like slumping to an embarrassing defeat, reduced to 91/7 in the 19th over, chasing Afghanistan's score of 291/5 built on the country's first century in World Cup by Ibrahim Zadran (129 not off 143 balls) and a breezy 18-ball 35 by Rashid Khan.

But Maxwell and skipper Pat Cummins raised 202 runs off 170 balls for the 8th wicket partnership, Maxwell scoring 179 of those runs and Cummins remained undefeated with 12 off 68 balls.

It was a sensational innings from Maxwell, who held the fort with Australia reduced to 91/7, getting involved in a run out Marnus Labuschagne. With Australia needing 21 runs off the last four overs, Maxwell blasted an amazing 22 runs off four deliveries in the 47th over, barely able to move inside the crease.

Their 202-run unfinished partnership was the highest for Australia for the 8th wicket, bettering by a huge margin the 119-run stand between between Paul Reiffel and Shane Warne against South Africa in 1993-94. It is also the third double-century partnership in World Cups and the first in India.

In the end, Maxwell blazed an undefeated 201 off 128 deliveries, hitting 21 boundaries and 10 maximums in an amazing inning that took Australia to 12 points from eight matches and confirmed their place in the semifinals as the third-placed team.

Afghanistan had themselves to blame as they dropped two catches of Maxwell and also had an LBW opportunity going against them.

Australia were in deep trouble, reduced to 87/6 in the 15th over after seamers Naveen-ul-Haq and Azmatullah Omarzai landed early blows, claiming a couple of wickets each, and Rashid Khan spun a web around the Australian batters to claim two scalps.

Maxwell, who survived an lbw chance on review and dropped chances at 27 and 33 (by Mujeeb Ur Rahman), was also lucky to see a few edges land in gaps as he scored a brilliant century, making full use of the nine lives to guide Australia to an improbable victor.

He and skipper Pat Cummins raised 100 runs for the 8th wicket partnership off 89 balls, Maxwell scoring 86 of those runs and Cummins only six, with eight extras. Australia were 199/7 in the 34th over and up and running.

With Australia needing 47 from 42 balls, Maxwell hammered 16 runs off Azmatullah, hitting two superb fours and a brilliant six. He then clubbed a six off Naveen-ul-Haq in the next over to make it a manageable 26 off 30 balls.

Australia had looked on their way to defeat in the first power-play itself as Afghanistan struck four early blows.

Travis Head (0), who struck a century in his first match of this World Cup after recovering from an injury, Mitchell Marsh, who blasted an 11-ball 24, and David Warner (14) and Josh Inglis (0) departed in quick succession as Naveen-ul-Haq and Azmatullah Omarzai claimed two wickets apiece -- the latter having two off two, as they took full advantage of the seaming conditions.

It became worse in the 15th over when Marnus Labuschagne was run out after a terrible mixup with Maxwell, who had nudged the ball to midwicket and went for a needles single. Australia were reduced to 69/5.

Maxwell struck Mujeeb Ur Rahman for back-to-back fours in the 16th over and Stoinis swept a fuller delivery from Rashid Khan on his pads for a boundary before the Afghan spinner had his revenge. Stoinis went for a reverse sweep off a googly pitched on length, which spun past the bat and gloves to hit the front pad in line with the middle stump. Stoinis reviewed it but ultra-edge showed there was no bat or glove involved while the ball-tracker showed the delivery, which pitched outside off, would have gone on to hit the middle stump. Australia were reduced to 87/6 and the writing was clearly on the wall.

Maxwell, who hoicked Mohammed Nabi for a four and a six after hitting back-to-back fours a couple of overs before, continued to flourish, after completing his fifty off 51 deliveries, he raced to the next fifty in just 25 balls, with three fours and three sixes as he completed his hundred in 76 balls. Australia scored 200 runs in the 35th over and were looking on way to victory.

Earlier, Opening batsman Ibrahim Zadran struck Afghanistan's maiden World Cup hundred to help his team post 291 for five wickets.

Zadran anchored the Afghan innings with an unbeaten 129 from 143 balls after the South Asian side won the toss and elected to bat. The 21-year-old Zadran's fifth hundred in the 50-overs format was studded with eight fours and three sixes.

All-rounder Rashid Khan smashed an unbeaten 35 off 18 balls with three sixes and two fours to provide Afghanistan with some quick runs towards the end. IANS

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