MUMBAI: Glenn Maxwell fought through cramps to smash a stunning 201 not out off 128 balls, single-handedly gui­ding Australia to an improbable three-wicket win over Afghanistan in a World Cup match on Tuesday and sealing the team’s spot in the semi-finals.

Afghanistan appeared set for a famous victory against five-time champions Australia at the floodlit Wankhede Stadium, reducing them to 91 for seven wickets after setting them a victory target of 292.

But the Afghans then watched in disbelief as Maxwell launched an extraordinary counter-attack. With captain Pat Cummins for company, Maxwell took Australia past Afghanistan’s total of 291 for five wickets with 19 balls to spare.

The right-handed batsman suffered cramps after going past his fourth hundred in the 50-over format but laboured on, cutting down on running between the wickets to manage the pain and relying more on big hits.

These included an extraordinary reverse hit for six off paceman Azmatullah Omarzai — earlier denied a hat-trick by Maxwell.

In total, Maxwell hit 21 fours and 10 sixes during his knock — many of them on one leg and the last six brought up the victory and also brought up his double century.

“Horrific, I feel shocking,” said Maxwell. “It was quite hot when we were fielding, I haven’t done a whole lot of high intensity exercise in the heat. It got a hold of me today, I was lucky to stick it out until the end.”

Cummins remained unbeaten on 12 from 68 balls but more importantly added 202 for the unbroken eighth wicket partnership.

Afghanistan held nume­rous meetings on the ground but were unable to find a way to dislodge Maxwell, who was dropped on 33 by Mujeeb-ur-Rah­man off Noor Ahmad’s bowling.

Maxwell was also adjudged out leg before wicket in the same over against Noor but the batsman managed to successfully overturn the umpire’s decision on appeal.

“It would’ve been nice if it was chanceless, I’ve lived a very charmed life out there,” said Maxwell, appropriately nicknamed ‘The Big Show’.

Maxwell became just the third batsman after New Zealand’s Martin Guptill and West Indies’ Chris Gayle to score a World Cup double century, ending the match in style with nearly three overs to spare when he slammed Mujeeb for another six.

The 35-year-old Maxwell’s highest One-day International score was just his fourth century in 136 matches at this level, but second of the tournament after he scored the fastest hundred in men’s World Cup history, off just 40 balls, against the Netherlands.

“Just ridiculous. I don’t know how you describe that,” Cummins said of Maxwell’s epic double century. “A great win but Maxi was just out of this world. It’s got to be the greatest ODI innings that has ever happened.”

Afghanistan, despite this defeat, remain in last-four contention but they will need to beat second-placed South Africa and hope other results go their way to qualify for the knockout phase.

It had seemed the night would belong to Ibrahim Zadran, whose 129 not out in a total of 291-5 was the first hundred by an Afghanistan batsman at a World Cup.

Thar left Australia needing to better their previous highest winning score to win a World Cup match of 287 against New Zealand in a 1996 quarter-final in Chennai.

But opener Travis Head fell for a duck, caught behind off a superb Naveen-ul-Haq delivery that seamed away sharply, with the paceman also having Mitchell Marsh lbw for 24.

Australia’s 43-2 then became 49-4 as Omarzai struck with successive deliveries, clean bowling veteran opener David Warner following the left-hander’s ugly heave across the line before Josh Inglis edged to first slip.

Maxwell survived the hat-trick, nicking short of wicketkeeper Ikram Alikhil.

Australia were 69-5 when a mix-up with Maxwell saw Marnus Labuschagne run out by Rahmat Shah’s direct hit from midwicket before leg-spinner Rashid

Khan removed Marcus Stoinis and Mitchell Starc as the crowd roared Afghanistan on.

But then came Maxwell’s big reprieve, with Australia 112-7.

“Really disappointed. Cricket is a funny game, it was unbelievable,” Afgha­nistan captain Hashmat­ullah Shahidi said. “We were in the game. Our bowlers started really well, we dropped chances for the eighth wicket. Maxwell doesn’t stop, I have to give credit to him.”

Earlier, opener Zadran took Afghanistan to their highest World Cup total as they topped their 288 they made against the West Indies at Headingley in 2019.

Australia initially kept Afghanistan in check after losing the toss, albeit they struggled for wickets with Zadran completing his fifth hundred in 27 ODIs, off 131 balls, including seven fours.

Zadran, however, accelerated after going to three figures with Rashid making a dashing 35 not out during a quickfire unbroken stand of 58.

SCOREBOARD

AFGHANISTAN:

Rahmanullah Gurbaz c Starc b Hazlewood 21

Ibrahim Zadran not out 129

Rahmat Shah c Hazlewood b Maxwell 30

Hashmatullah Shahidi b Starc 26

Azmatullah Omarzai c Maxwell b Zampa 22

Mohammad Nabi b Hazlewood 12

Rashid Khan not out 35

EXTRAS (LB-5, NB-1, W-10) 16

TOTAL (for five wickets, 50 overs) 291

DID NOT BAT: Ikram Alikhil, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-38 (Gurbaz), 2-121 (Rahmat), 3-173 (Shahidi), 4-210 (Omarzai), 5-233 (Nabi)

BOWLING: Starc 9-0-70-1 (5w); Hazlewood 9-0-39-2 (1w); Maxwell 10-0-55-1 (1nb); Cummins 8-0-47-0 (1w); Zampa 10-0-58-1 (2w); Head 3-0-15-0; Stoinis 1-0-2-0

AUSTRALIA:

D. Warner b Omarzai 18

T. Head c Alikhil b Naveen 0

M. Marsh lbw b Naveen 24

M. Labuschagne run out 14

J. Inglis c Ibrahim b Omarzai 0

G. Maxwell not out 201

M. Stoinis lbw b Rashid 6

M. Starc c Alikhil b Rashid 3

P. Cummins not out 12

EXTRAS (B-4, LB-1, W-10) 15

TOTAL (for seven wickets, 46.5 overs) 293

DID NOT BAT: J. Hazlewood, A. Zampa

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-4 (Marsh), 2-43 (Marsh), 3-49 (Warner), 4-49 (Inglis), 5-69 (Labuschagne), 6-87 (Stoinis), 7-91 (Starc)

BOWLING: Mujeeb 8.5-1-72-0; Naveen 9-0-47-2 (1w); Omarzai 7-1-52-2 (1w); Rashid 10-0-44-2 (3w); Ahmad 10-1-53-0 (1w); Nabi 2-0-20-0

RESULT: Australia won by three wickets.

PLAYER-OF-THE-MATCH: Glenn Maxwell

Published in Dawn, November 8th, 2023