Australia won by 3 wkts
PLAYER OF THE MATCH : Glenn Maxwell
Batter
Bowler
Are you not entertained? A day in cricket which we will all look back and think, did that really happen? Well, today it was Glenn Maxwell’s world and we are all living in it. With no feet, with a bruised back and an exhausted body, the Big Show put on the greatest show tonight at the Wankhede. Tough luck for the Afghans, their race is almost run for this World Cup but they can hold their heads up high. How far have they come from the timid team that took the field at the 2015 World Cup. For Australia, they will believe the sky is the limit, especially if they can win with barely mobile players. They setup a semi-final clash against South Africa. That's all from this game that felt straight out of a Rohit Shetty film. This is Saurabh Shankar signing off on behalf of Akshay Maanay, Ramakrishnan MS, Pradeep Krishnamurthy and Praveen.
Pat Cummins | Australia captain: Ridiculous. Don't know how to describe it. Great win! It has got to be the greatest thing that has ever happened. One of those days people will say yeah, I was at the stadium for this game. He (Maxwell) was great, he was calm. He always had a plan. Even from 200 behind to be able to win the game that way, it was really special. (On whether Maxwell wanted to walk off) We had two NSW players lining up, Zampa was on and off three times, but Maxi wanted to stay out there. It is important to remember you can win from anywhere. Real belief in the team and we are in the semi-finals now, that's great. (On what they could do better) Don't think it is the time and the place, I'm going to pause that. I think the toss is a bit tricky out here, the first 20 overs are key. Obviously there are things we could have done better.
Hashmatullah Shahidi | Afghanistan captain: Very disappointed. Cricket is a funny game, it was unbelievable for us. We were in the game, our bowlers started very well and the dropped chances hurt us. After that, Maxwell doesn't stop, he played every kind of shot and I can give credit to him. I think the dropped catches were the key, after that Maxwell played really well. Our bowlers tried their best but he didn't give any chance to us. Proud of the team, but we will be disappointed tonight. We didn't think it would be this way, part of the game. This is cricket. We will try to come back strong against South Africa. He (Ibrahim Zadran) must be proud of himself, I am also proud that he is the first Afghan with a WC hundred.
Lowest strike-rate in a WC innings (min 10 runs scored)
16.43 - Jack Heron (ZIM) vs WI, Worcester, 1983
17.64 - Pat Cummins (AUS) vs AFG, Mumbai WS, 2023
18.18 - Mehmood Quaraishy (EAf) vs NZ, Birmingham, 1975
20 - Christopher Chappell (CAN) vs PAK, Leeds, 1979
This was the highest successful ODI run-chase at this venue and the highest ever for Australia in World Cups.
Stats courtesy Roshan Gede
Most sixes in a WC innings
17 - Eoin Morgan (ENG) vs AFG, Manchester, 2019
16 - Chris Gayle (WI) vs ZIM, Canberra, 2015
11 - Martin Guptill (NZ) vs WI, Wellington, 2015
11 - Fakhar Zaman (PAK) vs NZ, Bengaluru, 2023
10 - Glenn Maxwell (AUS) vs AFG, Mumbai WS, 2023
Fastest double hundreds in ODIs (by balls)
126 - Ishan Kishan (IND) vs BAN, Chattogram, 2022
128 - Glenn Maxwell (AUS) vs AFG, Mumbai WS, 2023
138 - Chris Gayle (WI) vs ZIM, Canberra, 2015
Highest score for a non-opener in ODIs
201* - Glenn Maxwell (AUS) vs AFG, Mumbai WS, 2023 WC
194* - Charles Coventry (ZIM) vs BAN, Bulawayo, 2009
189* - Viv Richards (WI) vs ENG, Manchester, 1984
185 - Faf du Plessis (SA) vs SL, Cape Town, 2017
Previous WC record: 181 - Viv Richards (WI) vs SL, Karachi, 1987
- Previous highest from No.6 or below in ODIs: 175* - Kapil Dev (IND) vs ZIM, Tunbridge Wells, 1983 WC.
Highest partnerships for 7th wicket or below in ODIs
202* - Glenn Maxwell & Pat Cummins (AUS) vs AFG, Mumbai WS, 2023 WC
177 - Jos Buttler & Adil Rashid (ENG) vs NZ, Birmingham, 2015
174* - Afif Hossain & Mehidy Hasan Miraz (BAN), Chattogram, 2022
162 - Michael Bracewell & Mitchell Santner (NZ) vs IND, Hyderabad, 2023
Previous record for 8th wicket or below in ODIs: 138* - Justin Kemp & Andrew Hall (SA) vs IND, Cape Town, 2006
Highest individual scores in World Cups
237* - Martin Guptill (NZ) vs WI, Wellington, 2015
215 - Chris Gayle (WI) vs ZIM, Canberra, 2015
201* - Glenn Maxwell (AUS) vs AFG, Mumbai WS, 2023
188* - Gary Kirsten (SA) vs UAE, Rawalpindi, 1996
183 - Sourav Ganguly (IND) vs SL, Taunton, 1999
Highest individual scores in an ODI run-chase
201* - Glenn Maxwell (AUS) vs AFG, Mumbai WS, 2023 WC
193 - Fakhar Zaman (PAK) vs SA, Johannesburg, 2021
185* - Shane Watson (AUS) vs BAN, Mirpur, 2011
183* - MS Dhoni (IND) vs SL, Jaipur, 2005
183 - Virat Kohli (IND) vs PAK, Mirpur, 2012
Previous WC record: 158 by Andrew Strauss (ENG) vs IND, Bengaluru, 2011
Most sixes in World Cups
49 - Chris Gayle
45 - Rohit Sharma
43 - Glenn Maxwell
37 - AB de Villiers
37 - David Warner
Highest individual scores for Australia in ODIs
201* - Glenn Maxwell vs AFG , Mumbai WS, 2023 WC
185* - Shane Watson vs BAN, Mirpur, 2011
181* - Matthew Hayden vs NZ, Hamilton, 2007
179 - David Warner vs PAK, Adelaide, 2017
178 - David Warner vs AFG, Perth, 2015 WC
Glenn Maxwell | Player of the Match - It was hot while fielding today, I haven't done a lot of exercise in the heat, it got a hold on me today. I wanted to stay back and get some movement (on my legs). Not too much (when asked about plans at 92/7), just stick to the batting plans as much as possible, for me, still be positive, still look to play my shots, that LBW, it was going just above (the stumps), probably that made me be more proactive. A hint of swing and nip (off the surface), as it happens here under lights, they bowled beautifully to exploit that. It would have been nice if it was a chanceless knock, but I had my chances, to make the most of it tonight was something I can be proud of. Amazing, after the first two games, people were quick to write us off. The belief was always there (as a team), after today, it would have gone a bit higher.
How do I explain to my future kids that Australia managed to chase 292 after being 91/7 at one stage, while one player in the partnership scored 12 off 68 balls and the other with literally a bad back carried the weight of his team? The day began with Ibrahim Zadran scoring the first ever World Cup century for an Afghan, while Shahidi, Rahmat and Omarzai made supporting contributions. Rashid added a late dash to allow Afghanistan a daunting target. In reply, Travis Head was out for duck and Marsh was trapped LBW by Naveen. Then Omarzai got two in two to leave Austalia at 49/4. Maxwell came out to face a hat-trick ball and survived a scare. Then he was given a life by Shahidi who couldn't reach to a miscued shot and an LBW review went in his favour as a Noor Ahmad ball was anticipated to go over the stumps. The luckiest break though came when Mujeeb dropped a dolly at short fine. How the Afghan spinner was made to rue that drop. Sensing that it was his day and with nothing to lose, Maxwell went hammer and tongs at the Afghan bowlers. Like Midas had the golden touch, Maxi today had a golden bat as everything he hit went either for four or over the boundary ropes. Maxwell was fighting exhaustion, cramps, a bad back and a motivated Afghan attack. At one stage he was playing with no footwork, just like one of those animated stick cricket characters. But still the Afghan bowlers had no answers. In the end, the highest target ever chased down at Wankhede with more than 3 overs to spare. And this summary cannot be complete without a mention for Pat Cummins who held one end up, remaining not out at 12 off 68 balls. Over to the presentations now...
22:17 Local Time, 16:47 GMT: Think of the greatest warriors in the history of humanity. Think Alexander, think Genghis Khan, think Julius Caesar and today you can add another great contemporary warrior to that list. His name is Glenn Maxwell. An innings that defied logic, that tested the limits of human capabilities as Glenn Maxwell on one leg, with a semi-functional back took Australia from the dooms of defeat to the whims of victory. Functioning purely on adrenaline, the Big Show has today become an immortal in the world of cricket.
Mujeeb to Maxwell, SIX, Jesus Christ!! This has been mental stuff!! The man with no legs and a maimed back is standing the tallest today at the Wankhede. Fired in on the pads by Mujeeb, Maxwell lifts it from there and gives it a huge slog sweep over deep mid-wicket. That will be 200 for G Maxi, that will be quite an inexplicable win for Australia. They qualify for the semis!!
Mujeeb to Maxwell, FOUR, flat and too wide, Maxwell slaps it hard to the right of extra cover for a boundary.
Mujeeb to Maxwell, SIX, short of length delivery on off, Glenn Maxwell stays still and flat bats it to the right of long-on for a sixer!! I swear you've never seen anything like this...