AUS vs AFG: Afghanistan lose winning game courtesy of injured Glenn Maxwell's 201, Australia qualify for semis

Glenn Maxwell thrilled the crowd at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai and secured Australia's place in the ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023 semi-finals.

Glenn Maxwell

Despite a promising start defending 291 runs, Afghanistan couldn't deter Glenn Maxwell, who went on to score a remarkable 201 runs, even amid an injury. The "Big Show" truly lived up to his nickname, thrilling the crowd at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai and securing Australia's place in the ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023 semi-finals.

With his 201 off 128 balls, Maxwell became the first Australian player to score a double hundred in ODI history.

As Afghanistan began their defence, Naveen-ul-Haq and Azmatullah Omarzai led a stunning batting collapse. Pacer Naveen dismissed the explosive Travis Head for a duck and followed up by trapping Mitchell Marsh LBW for a brisk 24 runs. Omarzai joined the party by swiftly removing David Warner and Josh Inglis in consecutive deliveries, reducing Australia to a precarious 49/4 in just 8.2 overs. Marnus Labuschagne and Glenn Maxwell were left at the crease.

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However, Maxwell continued to dominate despite losing partners, including Labuschagne (14), Marcus Stoinis (6), and Mitchell Starc (3). Skipper Pat Cummins held his ground, but Maxwell was the driving force behind Australia's remarkable comeback. He was also lucky on a few occasions, due to poor fielding and a review going in his favour.

In the first innings, Ibrahim Zadran spearheaded Afghanistan's fight, helping them post a challenging total of 291/5 while batting first. Zadran, who opened the innings, finished unbeaten with an outstanding 129 runs from 143 balls, becoming the first Afghan cricketer to notch a century in ODI World Cups. Besides Zadran, Rashid Khan contributed a quick 35* off 18 balls.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Zadran provided Afghanistan with a solid start after winning the toss and opting to bat. They added 38 runs for the opening partnership before Josh Hazlewood removed Gurbaz for 21. Zadran and Rahmat Shah then combined for an 83-run partnership for the third wicket before Glenn Maxwell broke the stand.

Shah was dismissed for 30, and Mitchell Starc subsequently cleaned up Afghanistan's captain, Hashmatullah Shahidi, for 26. In the 43rd over, Adam Zampa provided another breakthrough, catching Azmatullah Omarzai off Maxwell for 22. Hazlewood later removed Mohammad Nabi for 12.

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