Glenn Maxwell’s ‘Superhuman’ innings helps Australia beat Afghanistan

Glenn Maxwell produced one of the vital astonishing Cricket World Cup innings by smashing 201 off 128 balls on Tuesday to steer Australia previous Afghanistan with 19 deliveries to spare and into the semifinals.

Australia joined India and South Africa within the final 4 and broken Afghanistan’s unlikely bid to succeed in the semifinals.

Maxwell completed his highest ODI knock unable to run between the wickets due to cramp, simply slashing the ball over the boundary with out shifting his legs as Australia chased down its goal of 292. He hit 21 fours in addition to 10 sixes, the final coming off the ultimate ball of the match.

Australia, set 292 to win, had collapsed to 91-7 earlier than Maxwell dragged his crew again into the reckoning with a century which helped the five-time champions go to 186-7.

They’d have been in serious trouble had not Mujeeb Ur Rahman dropped a easy catch at brief wonderful leg when all-rounder Maxwell, the final of Australia’s recognised batsmen, was on 33.

Maxwell went onto make a 51-ball fifty, having missed the win over England in weird trend after struggling a concussion when falling off a golf buggy.

He then piled on the agony for Afghanistan by taking simply 25 extra balls to finish 100 that includes 10 fours and three sixes.

Australia had been seven down in opposition to Afghanistan on the 25-over mark in Mumbai on the ICC Males’s Cricket World Cup 2023.

Earlier, Naveen-ul-Haq struck in his very first over, getting Travis Head to nick one behind the wicket. Mitchell Marsh attacked to select up the scoring price, however was ultimately undone by an excellent Naveen supply, which skidded in and thudded into his pads and the umpire raised his finger after an enchantment.Azmatullah Omarzai’s double strike quickly diminished Australia from 49/2 to 49/4 within the ninth over.

21-year-old Ibrahim Zadran etched his title in Afghanistan’s cricket historical past by scoring the nation’s first ever World Cup hundred that propelled them to a good 291 for five in opposition to Australia right here on Tuesday.

Zadran anchored the innings with an unbeaten 129 off 143 balls as Afghanistan scored 64 in final 5 overs in opposition to five-time champions in a do-or-die sport so far as their maiden semi-final look is worried.

Zadran who made his ODI debut simply 4 years in the past, produced a terrific knock on the Wankhede Stadium in a key World Cup conflict to report his fifth ton in solely 26 ODIs.

He additionally has 5 fifties to his credit score. Zadran additionally turned the primary batter from his nation to attain a ton in opposition to Australia.

Vindicating his captain’s name on the toss to bat first completely, Zadran’s unhurried knock showcased his high-class temperament, health in addition to calibre as he batted for the whole thing of the Afghanistan innings, taking them to a combating complete on a batting-friendly pitch.

Zadran confronted 143 balls and cracked eight fours and three sixes to make the very best rating for any Afghanistan batter in World Cup tournaments since their maiden look two editions in the past, surpassing Samiullah Shinwari’s 96 in opposition to Scotland at Dunedin within the 2015 World Cup.

“I had a very good chat with Sachin Tendulkar yesterday, he shared numerous his experiences that I am unable to specific. I am very grateful to him for sharing his experiences and giving me numerous confidence,” Zadran mentioned on the break.

With Australia pacers not discovering any help off the floor or within the air proper from the start, Afghanistan’s method was largely conservative however there have been some sparks of brilliance too.

Azmatullah Omarzai smacked two sixes and a 4 to make an 18-ball 22 to offer Afghanistan with much-needed impetus within the center overs. He was dismissed by Adam Zampa (1/58) who now has 20 wickets within the World Cup thus far.

In direction of the top, Rashid Khan, who maybe didn’t bowl in any respect in the course of the lead-up to this contest, hammered a quickfire 35 not out off 18 balls (2x4s, 3x6s).

However the star of the innings undoubtedly was younger Zadran, who gave a wonderful instance of his expertise on the greatest stage by shepherding the remainder of the Afghanistan batters who seemed to be batting round him.

The primary breakthrough got here on the finish of the eighth over when Rahmanullah Gurbaz (21) lazily pulled a brief ball from Josh Hazlewood (2/39) to Mitchell Starc stationed at deep backward sq. leg, having placed on 38 for the primary wicket.

However an 83-run stand from 100 balls for the second wicket between Rahmat Shah (30) and Zadran consolidated Afghanistan’s place, permitting them to construct a platform.

Whereas they put the dangerous deliveries away, each Zadran and Shah rotated the strike properly.

*With Company Inputs

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Up to date: 07 Nov 2023, 10:16 PM IST