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Glenn Maxwell Bids Adieu To ODIs: 5 Best Knocks By Australian Great In The Format

Jatin

Glenn Maxwell has announced retirement from ODI cricket [Source: @FoxCricket/x.com]Glenn Maxwell has announced retirement from ODI cricket [Source: @FoxCricket/x.com]

When you talk about modern-day entertainers in cricket, Glenn Maxwell’s name walks in at number one. A maverick with the bat, a livewire in the field and a handy customer with the ball, Maxwell was always Australia’s wildcard.

But in ODIs, he wasn’t just a showman, he was often the man for the crisis, the spark that turned the tide or the hammer that crushed the opposition. After a 13-year ODI career that saw him play 149 matches, rack up nearly 4,000 runs at a stunning strike rate of 126.7, Maxwell has called time on his 50-over journey.

As Glenn Maxwell announces his retirement, let’s take a closer look at his top 5 knocks in ODI cricket.

5. 96 vs India At MCG, 2016

Back in January 2016, chasing 296 against a Virat Kohli-inspired India, Australia were wobbling at 150/3. Enter Maxwell, and the game shifted in no time. He walked in with the crowd getting restless and finished with 96 off 83 balls, a knock that was laden with flair. Smacking 8 fours and 3 sixes, Maxi took apart India’s spinners and pacers alike. 

Even as wickets kept tumbling at the other end, Glenn Maxwell never took his foot off the gas. He eventually fell just four short of a hundred, but by then, the damage was done. Australia crossed the line with just 7 balls and 3 wickets to spare and Maxwell had done what he does best: shift the match on its head.

4. 108 vs England At Old Trafford, 2020

This one was a true grit-and-glory story. In 2020 at Old Trafford, chasing 303 against a full-strength England side, Australia were in tatters at 73 for 5. The game was slipping, but Glenn Maxwell had other ideas. Along with Alex Carey, he stitched a miraculous 212-run stand that brought Australia roaring back from the dead.

Maxwell’s 108 off 90 balls was a proper ODI classic. He soaked up the pressure early and then unleashed his inner beast, launching 4 fours and 7 sixes in the back end. The timing was sweet, the sixes sweeter. Australia crossed the finish line with two balls to spare and it was Maxwell who had done the hard yards and the flair work.

3. 102 vs Sri Lanka At SCG, 2015

This one wasn’t just a knock; it was a fireworks show at the Sydney Cricket Ground. In the 2015 World Cup vs Sri Lanka, Maxwell came in at No. 5 with the scoreboard nicely ticking. But what he did next was pure mayhem. In just 51 balls, he brought up his hundred, the then fastest ever by an Aussie in a World Cup. His final score of 102 came off 53 balls with 10 fours and 4 sixes.

It was a knock where he made a mockery of lengths, turning good balls into boundaries with reverse sweeps, switch hits and powerful slogs. The Sri Lankan bowlers didn’t know whether to bowl full or short because either way, the ball disappeared. Australia posted 376 and won comfortably by 64 runs, but the highlight was the chaos Maxwell created in the middle overs. That night, he didn’t just bat, he detonated.

2. 103 vs Netherlands At Arun Jaitley Stadium, 2023

If Sri Lanka 2015 was a firecracker, this one was a full-blown explosion. In the 2023 World Cup, against the Netherlands in Delhi, Maxwell made history by smashing the fastest World Cup century ever off just 40 balls. He eventually finished on 106 off 44 balls, peppered with 9 boundaries and 8 sixes. The Netherlands had no answers. 

Yorkers were flicked over fine leg, bouncers were swatted square and anything in his arc was deposited into the stands. Maxwell played like he was in the nets, timing everything with sweet brutality. Australia racked up 399, and the Dutch were bowled out for 90. Maxwell didn’t just break a record, he smashed it into pieces. This was vintage Maxi: ruthless, entertaining and unstoppable.

1. 201* vs Afghanistan At Wankhede Stadium, 2023

And finally, we arrive at that knock. The one that left jaws on the floor and broke the internet. The Wankhede was witnessing a disaster as Australia were 91 for 7 chasing 292 against Afghanistan in World Cup 2023. What followed was straight out of a superhero movie. 

Glenn Maxwell, battling cramps, hobbling around, played an out-of-this-world innings of 201 not out off 128 balls.  He couldn’t run, so he smashed. 21 fours and 10 sixes lit up Mumbai with every shot more outrageous than the last.  Reverse sweeps on one leg, back-foot slogs for six and drives that screamed through the gaps as he was playing on a different planet. 

Alongside Pat Cummins, who just hung around, Maxwell rewrote history. He didn’t just win the match, he snatched it from the jaws of defeat to keep the Aussie World Cup dream alive, which they eventually went on to fulfill by beating India. No one will forget this knock, not now, not ever. It was the stuff of legends.