WC: Maxwell's 201 propels Australia to sensational win, securing semi-final spot

Glenn Maxwell played one of the greatest one-day innings in history, scoring an unbeaten 201 runs off 128 balls to lead Australia to a remarkable three-wicket victory over Afghanistan in Match 39 of the ICC Men's ODI World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium. After Afghanistan set a challenging target of 291/5, thanks to Ibrahim Zadran's first World Cup century (129 not out off 143 balls) and Rashid Khan's quickfire 35 off just 18 balls, Australia found themselves in trouble at 91/7 in the 19th over. However, Maxwell's brilliant performance helped his team snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, securing a spot in the semifinals of the tournament.

Maxwell and skipper Cummins scored 202 runs off 170 balls with Maxwell contributing 179 runs. He held the fort when Australia was reduced to 91/7 and got involved in a run-out. With Australia needing 21 runs off the last four overs, Maxwell blasted an amazing 22 runs off four deliveries in the 47th over. In the end, he remained unbeaten with 201 runs off 128 deliveries, hitting 21 boundaries and ten maximums.

Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, David Warner, and Josh Inglis departed quickly, leaving Australia in trouble at 52/4. Naveen-ul-Haq and Azmatullah Omarzai claimed two wickets each before Maxwell and Stoinis provided some resistance. However, Stoinis was eventually dismissed by Rashid Khan after a reverse sweep. Australia ended up at 87/6. Maxwell dominated the match, hitting Nabi for a four and a six, then racing to his century in just 76 balls. He hit three fours and three sixes in his second fifty, and by the 35th over, Australia had scored 200 runs. Maxwell smashed Mujeeb Ur Rehman for a flat four and a straight six in the 32nd over and celebrated crossing the 150-run mark by hitting two sixes off successive deliveries in the 29th over.

Earlier, Zadran held the Afghanistan innings together, scoring a 143-ball 129 as he remained unbeaten from start to finish, helping his team post a challenging 291/5 in their 50 overs. This was Zadran's fifth century in ODIs in his 27th match but the first triple-figure score for his country in the World Cup. However, Afghanistan was going slow at the start, with the Australian bowlers giving them a limited number of chances, managing only 46/1 in Power-play1. At the halfway mark (25th over), Afghanistan were 122/2, scoring at the rate of 4.88 per over. 

After Gurbaz (21) departed early, Zadran and Shah added 83 runs off 100 balls. Zadran completed his fifty off 62 deliveries with six boundaries. They mainly scored through singles, with occasional boundaries against a good bowling attack. Zadran completed his century off 131 deliveries, hitting seven boundaries, and anchored the Afghanistan innings. They lost Omarzai (22 off 18) and Nabi (12 off 10) before Rashid Khan joined Zadran and changed the match. Zadran completed his century and picked up the scoring. He hit a six off Zampa and a big one off Starc. Rashid scored quickly, hitting Maxwell for a maximum and a boundary. They added 58 runs for the sixth wicket. Rashid hit two huge sixes off Starc in the final over.