A sport is rarely over till you bowl the final ball. And particularly when up towards one of the crucial ruthless sides in World Cup historical past. On a seemingly fairly Tuesday evening, Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium roared to an epic show of cricket, first from the Afghanistan bowlers, who pinned Australia to 7 down to face on the doorstep of the largest ever upset within the match historical past, after which from Glenn Maxwell, who scripted a knock paying homage to Kapil Dev’s iconic 175* within the 1983 World Cup, as he single-handedly pulled off one of the crucial unthinkable heist with the best ever World Cup efficiency.
He was nearly dismissed lbw in his first ball, he was hobbling by means of the ultimate part of the knock owing to cramps, however Maxwell by no means gave up. In an innings that defied logic and examined all limits of human capabilities, Maxwell, on one-foot, battled by means of to attain an unbeaten 201, the primary ever Australia to attain a double century in ODI cricket and third batter to attain the feat in a World Cup match, because the five-time world champions scripted a three-wicket win.
With the victory, Australia roared to the semifinals, becoming a member of India and South Africa, whereas Afghanistan, who have been on a successful spree with successive wins over Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Netherlands, will now be coming into a troublesome battle for the fourth and remaining knockouts berth.
A historic first World Cup ton from Ibrahim Zadran
Buoyed by the legendary Sachin Tendulkar’s inspirational chat on the eve of the competition, 21-year-old Zadran etched his identify in cricket historical past by scoring Afghanistan first ever World Cup hundred that single-handedly powered the workforce to a good 291 for five.
Zadran, who solely made his ODI debut about 4 years again, anchored the innings with an unbeaten 129 off 143 ball, scoring a fifth century in simply his twenty sixth ODI look. Justifying his captain’s determination to bat first, the batter confirmed immense temperament and health, as he carried by means of the whole lot of the innings, lacing eight boundaries and three sixes in his 143-ball knock to notch up the very best rating for any Afghanistan batter in World Cup tournaments. He was concerned in partnerships all through the innings, the largest being an 83-run stand for the 2nd wicket alongside Rahmat Shah.
Regardless of Zadran’s efforts, it appeared Afghanistan weren’t in a position to maximise their batting, nevertheless it all lasted till the forty sixth over when Rashid Khan joined the act. He smashed a six and 4 towards Glenn Maxwell within the subsequent over earlier than taking down Mitchell Starc for 16 runs within the remaining over as Afghanistan managed 65 runs within the final 5 overs.
Nightmare for Australia
Australia have been handed an unprecedented activity in a bid to ensure their semifinal ticket. By no means has a rating of greater than 280 been efficiently chased on the Wankhede. And it seemed to stay true on Tuesday evening as properly.
Naveen-ul-Haq struck in his very second ball with the size ball angling in from around the wicket as Travis Head edged it behind. Into his third over, with the brand new ball, he removed the big-hitting Mitchell Marsh with a supply paying homage to his dismissal of Jos Buttler in that historic win towards England. He went vast of the crease and landed it properly exterior off however Marsh, like Buttler, was undone by the angle and Naveen’s capacity to get the ball to nip again in in direction of the stumps. The batter failed to attach because the ball struck his again pad consistent with the stumps.
With the ball swinging on the Wankhede, Afghanistan appeared to be lacking Fazalhaq Farooqi, however Azmatullah Omarzai, most likely Afghanistan’s third-best quick bowler, rose to the event. After being thrashed for 14 runs in his first over, he bounced again strongly with a maiden over towards David Warner, earlier than dismissing him and Josh Inglis in successive deliveries.
On backfoot at 4 down, Australia have been in determined want of a partnership from their final pair of specialist batters. And simply when it appeared issues could not get extra worse for the Aussies, Marnus Labuschagne’s lazy run out despatched them 5 down. Rashid Khan struck shortly after in successive overs, dismissing Marcus Stoinis and Starc, which was a lucky one because the replay confirmed that the ball by no means hit the bat and as an alternative flicked the off-stump on its method to the keeper.
Maxwell does a Kapil Dev
The win predictor slipped beneath 9 per cent when Starc walked again to the pavilion. Australia have been on the doorstep of a shock loss whereas Afghanistan already sniffed a well-known win. However Maxwell, who had survived a hat-trick supply from Azmatullah in his first ball, had different plans. Stitching a valiant stand alongside captain Pat Cummins the place he performed the aggressor, Maxwell smashed 4 boundaries to get previous the fifty-run mark in 51 balls earlier than racing away in direction of a century in simply 25 extra deliveries with three extra boundaries and as many sixes.
Afghanistan assault, that had wreaked havoc towards the top-order, did not rattle Maxwell, however the humid Mumbai situations go the higher of the Aussie as halfway by means of he was hobbling by means of the 22 yards for a single earlier than falling to the bottom, clinching his thigh. Adam Zampa, No. 10, had made his means down the steps from the dressing room, however was despatched again.
Maxwell, though nonetheless hobbling by means of on one foot, understood that each one he wanted to get Australia by means of have been his two palms. Therefore with minimal foot motion, Maxwell continued by means of, reaching the 150-run mark in 28 extra deliveries earlier than smashing three sixes and a 4, in a row towards Mujeeb Ur Rahman, to assist Australia full the very best profitable chase ever in ODIs on the Wankhede.