Maxwell battles injury, rescues Aussies with brilliant double ton: 2023 No 39 AFG v AUS ...

Glenn Maxwell’s stunning double hundred rescued Australia against Afghanistan and booked their place in the World Cup semi-finals.

In Match 39 of the 2023 World Cup at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, Afghanistan batted first and posted 291/5 in 50 overs, powered by Ibrahim Zadran’s 129 off 143 balls* and a late cameo from Rashid Khan (35 off 18).

For Australia, Josh Hazlewood took 2/39, but the total proved challenging.

Australia’s chase began shakily as they slipped to 91/7, before an extraordinary recovery led by Maxwell, who scored 201 off 128 balls, guided them to 293/7 in 46.5 overs, sealing a dramatic 3-wicket victory.

Maxwell’s innings, including 21 fours and 10 sixes, was pivotal, marking the highest individual score in a World Cup chase, and confirmed Australia’s place in the semi-finals while leaving Afghanistan to rue another near-miss despite Zadran’s historic century.

Summary scores:

• Afghanistan: 291/5 (Zadran 129*, Rashid 35*; Hazlewood 2/39)
• Australia: 293/7 (Maxwell 201*; Nabi 2/51) – won by 3 wickets

Nov 2023.