AUS vs AFG: Glenn Maxwell battles humidity, cramps, pressure to slam magical double hundred 'without legs'

AUS vs AFG: When the chips were down, 'Big Show' Glenn Maxwell rose to the occasion and played the greatest ODI knock to stun Afghanistan and the rest of the world on Tuesday, November 7.

Australia were seven down for 91 in 18.3 overs, and Afghanistan could already smell a victory. The crowd at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai also got behind Afghanistan.

Glenn Maxwell was out there in the middle but the 292-run target looked far from achievable. Pat Cummins was accompanying him at the other end. Adam Zampa and Josh Hazlewood were the two batters with very less credentials to follow.

But the same neutral crowd was forced to change sides a while later. Something magical transpired in the next 20 overs. What happened in the final 10 overs was beyond magic and explanation.

Glenn Maxwell channelled his inner 'Big Show' to play the greatest ODI knock known to humankind. He first completed a hundred with both his legs working properly. In the second-half of his innings, he fought immense pain due to cramps in Mumbai humidity, did not move his legs at all but still ended up slamming a double hundred.

The magnanimity of Maxwell's innings was such that the 35-year-old scored 179 runs off 102 balls in the unbeaten 202-run partnership off 170 balls with Pat Cummins for the eighth wicket. Australia captain Cummins scored 12 not out runs off 68 balls.

Maxwell brought up his second World Cup 2023 hundred off 76 balls. He scored the next 101 runs off just 52. From overs 40.3 to 46.5, Maxwell played 27 balls in which he just ran four singles to score 54 runs.

There were times when Pat Cummins would play out a maiden for Maxwell to just stand and deliver in the following over. Maxwell had to be attended by the physios in the 41st over, and it appeared as if he would not be able to continue. Adam Zampa came down the dressing room and was standing at the boundary line, but the gutsy cricketer who missed the last game due to a concussion injury, showed the Australia fighting spirit and stood up to continue.

Zampa never got the opportunity to bat. Each of the players in the Australian dressing room were on their feet - laughing, rejoicing and celebrating in disbelief. With 21 needed from the last four overs, Maxwell did not take long after playing the first ball of the 47th over from Mujeeb Ur Rahman for a dot. Two sixes were followed by a boundary. A slow sweep over mid-wicket on the fifth delivery took Maxwell to 201 and Australia to a thrilling 3-wicket win which helped them become the third team after India and South Africa to qualify for the World Cup 2023 final.

The unbeaten 201 by Maxwell is the highest individual ODI score for Australia, highest in an ODI run-chase, third-highest in World cups, highest by a non-opener in ODIs, and the second-fastest (double hundred).

Maxwell, who could not go on the front foot or the back foot after the 40th over, stood tall to play arguably the greatest ODI knock. The man who broke his legs in a birthday party, the man who slipped off a golf cart and fell a few days ago, did the impossible 'without his legs'.

Top 10 highest individual score for Australia in ODI

• Glenn Maxwell: 201*
• Shane Watson: 185
• Matthew Hayden: 181
• David Warner: 179
• David Warner: 178
• Mark Waugh: 173
• David Warner: 173
• Adam Gilchrist: 172
• David Warner: 166
• Ricky Ponting: 164