Battling ache and exhaustion, Glenn Maxwell conjured arguably the best knock (201 not out off 128 balls) within the historical past of restricted overs cricket to single-handedly propel Australia to a sensational three-wicket win over Afghanistan within the World Cup in Mumbai on Tuesday.
With this, Australia turned the third group to enter the semifinals.
Opting to bat, opener Ibrahim Zadran turned the primary Afghanistan batter to attain a World Cup hundred and guided his group to 291 for 5.
In reply, Australia had been down and out at 91 for seven within the nineteenth over. That is when Maxwell determined to take cost and led an unimaginable comeback whereas including 202 runs for the eighth wicket with skipper Pat Cummins (12 not out), who watched the mayhem unfolding from the opposite finish.
In all, Maxwell smashed 21 boundaries and 10 sixes.
Earlier, Zadran carried his bat by means of the innings and completed on 129 not out off 143 balls.
Afghanistan misplaced opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz for a 25-ball 21 however Zadran and Rahmat Shah stitched 83 runs for the second wicket to put basis earlier than the latter was dismissed by Glenn Maxwell for a 44-ball 30 within the twenty fifth over with the rating studying 121.
Unperturbed by the lack of few wickets on the different finish, Zadran continued to build up runs at a good fee to prop up his group towards the five-time world champions.
Rashid Khan smashed unbeaten 35 off 18 balls in direction of the tip.
Transient scores:
Afghanistan: 291/5 in 50 overs (Ibrahim Zadran 129 not out; Josh Hazlewood 2/39).
Australia: 293/7 in 46.5 overs (Glenn Maxwell 201 not out).
