Kapil Dev’s 175* against Zimbabwe in the 1983 ODI World Cup was the greatest innings ever in ODI World Cups until what Glenn Maxwell did at Wankhede against Afghanistan on November 7, 2023. If the ongoing tournament has any award for bravery, passion and audacity – Maxwell deserves it.
He came, he played, he limped, he clutched in pain but conquered and snatched a win away from the jaws of Afghanistan. Making 201 in the partnership of 202 and rescuing the side that went down to 91 for 7 in a chase of 292; nothing of this magnanimity has ever happened before and perhaps will never be. What Maxwell has done for Australia is just SPECIAL.
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This supersedes all the iconic innings of the past not because batting mastery was at peak on Tuesday but because of the situation in which he triumphed. Wankhede trembled, shivered and was just astounded by Maxi’s beauty. The decibels touched maximum when Maxwell lifted his arms in the air with a wide smile and a sense of accomplishment on his face.
“Hats off”, “Incredible”, “Unimaginable”, “Unbelievable”, “Magical”, were the only words that echoed in Wankhede when Maxwell walked off the ground taking Australia to victory.
One man on one leg took Australia to the semis and this has to be etched in history.
In the 41st over of Australia’s chase, Maxwell went down on the ground after wobbling for a single. His muscles cramped, had a back spasm and laid flat on the ground. Adam Zampa was ready to take the baton but Maxwell didn’t leave the battlefield.
In visuals of pure pain and stress who would have thought that Maxwell would stand up tall to create history? As freakish and crazy as he is often known for his batting, it could have been only him who would have decided to get up and play for the country.
He looked very uncomfortable on the pitch but made the wisest decision in a not-so-ordinary chase – just ‘hit’ and not ‘run’. Note!
That’s exactly how Maxwell went from 150 to 200. For the next six overs, Maxwell made a simple calculation – boundaries or no run. Though it sounds simple but not really. The valour with which he smashed five fours and five sixes in that cramped condition was only what he could have done.
From over 42nd to 47th, he played every shot that could be read in any handbook of cricket. Since he couldn’t move, he toyed with the bowlers with his foot cemented on the crease. For that matter, Maxwell gave a good neck exercise to the fans in the stadium as left-right-top-bottom, it was just showering sixes and fours in Mumbai.
A day prior to the game, Maxwell’s inclusion in the Playing XI was not even certain because of his concussion from a golf cart accident. But comes the match day, polishing his individual brilliance and setting the enervating cramps aside. This can’t be just one Maxwell doing it – it has to be a collective joint force of all the batting greats in history that stashed in him to pull off the greatest ODI innings.
If it is destined to be, it will be.
Maxwell came to bat when Australia were 49/4 and needed some to steer the ship to the shore. Batting on 27, he was given LBW to a Noor Ahmed leg-break. It seemed it would hit the stumps, reviewed and even before the third umpire could flash his decision, he started walking back to the change room. But he paused a few steps later. The ball-tracking showed the delivery would have bounced over the stumps, handing a life to the all-rounder. Four balls later, Maxwell at 33 played Noor to short fine but Mujeeb dropped it. Perhaps, Afghanistan dropped the match there!
From a wider lens, Australia played the ODI format as an amalgamation of T20 and Tests. Maxwell shifted the gears after his half-century and played it like T20s, bringing up his first 50 runs in 51 balls and then another 50 in just 25.
Far away from the limelight, the other match-winner was Pat Cummins – who showed exemplary support and strength when Maxi needed it the most. Cummins got to the double-digit mark in 40 balls and just cemented his foot on the crease to let Maxwell do the job.
The captain did call Maxwell’s innings ‘probably the greatest ODI innings ever’ but his contribution was nothing short of greatness either.
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