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  World Cup 2023 | Maxwell Pulls Off Unbelievable Heist With Legendary Double-Century

image-lookk03qGlenn Maxwell stretching between overs against AFG (AP)

Brief Scores: Afghanistan: 291-5 (50 overs) [Ibrahim Zadran: 129* (143), Rashid Khan: 35* (18); Josh Hazlewood 2/39 (9), Glenn Maxwell 1/55 (10)] lost to Australia: 293-7 (46.5 overs) [Glenn Maxwell: 201* (128), Mitchell Marsh: 24 (11); Rashid Khan 2/44 (10), Naveen-ul-Haq 2/47 (9)] by three wickets.

Encountering their biggest challenge yet in their newfound winning streak, Australia eventually upstaged Afghanistan in their World Cup 2023 thriller in Mumbai, courtesy of a historic run-chase spectacle from all-round legend Glenn Maxwell.

Afghanistan innings revolve around unbeaten Zadran

Employing a tactical masterstroke, Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi opted to bat first upon winning the toss in their must-win World Cup 2023 game in Mumbai.

As it turned out, the entirety of Afghanistan’s innings primarily revolved around in-form opener Ibrahim Zadran, who listed an unbeaten 129 out of his team’s 291-run challenge upfront against Australia. Batting throughout the innings, number three batter Rahmat Shah and captain Shahidi scored cautious runs in the middle overs while Azmatullah Omarzai and Mohammad Nabi slapped quick-paced cameos in the backend.

Zadran faced 143 deliveries for his 129*, which featured eight elegant boundaries, three sixes, and a switch of gears during the death overs, while lower-order barbarian turbo-charged the run-flow with his sparkling 18-ball 35*.

Khan took a special liking to Australian World Cup legend Mitchell Starc in the final over, as the speedster finished his spell with 1-70 from his nine overs. Adam Zampa underwent a rare off day on the field as he and fellow spinner Glenn Maxwell conceded over 110 runs from their combined 20 overs while yielding just a wicket each from their ends. Josh Hazlewood picked the key wickets of opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz and senior man Nabi in the middle-overs to emerge as the bowler of the innings with figures of 2-39 from his spell.

Glenn Maxwell tonks whirlwind double ton in AUS win

Afghanistan speedsters Naveen-ul-Haq and Azmatullah Omarzai both struck twice each with the new-ball as a top-order collapse left Australia collecting dust 49-4 in 8.2 overs. Twin strikes from Rashid Khan and a runout from Rahmat Shah worsened Australia’s troubles at 91-7, before Glenn Maxwell re-wrote several history pages with a knock for the ages.

The big-hitting Australian powerhouse reduced captain Pat Cummins as a mere spectator at the other end, as he cut, pulled, muscled and eventually limped his way to a whirlwind double hundred. Maxwell countered Afghanistan’s high-flying seamers, in-form spinners and his own cramps with much success, belting 10 sixes and 21 boundaries during his record-breaking run-chase knock.

The cricketer shared 202 unbeaten runs with Cummins, also an eighth-wicket partnership record, where the latter contributed with a mere 12* from 68 balls. Maxwell also landed the finishing blow to wicketless Mujeeb Ur Rahman, the young Afghan spinner who committed a cardinal sin of reprieving the Australian a couple of hours ago, as the legendary all-rounder finished off the proceedings with three wickets and more than three overs to spare.