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Glenn Maxwell’s epic double ton to lead Australia to victory over Afghanistan at the World Cup is undoubtedly one of the greatest performances with the bat in one-day cricket history.
Australia skipper Pat Cummins, who had the best seat in the house at Wankhede Stadium for much of Maxwell’s fireworks as his batting partner, was adamant the all-rounder had shot to No.1 on the all-time charts with a bullet.
“I think that’s the greatest ODI innings,” said Cummins, who contributed a crucial, unbeaten 12 at the other end in their unbroken, match-winning stand of 202 for the eighth wicket on Tuesday as Maxwell blasted 201 not out.
“It’s the best I’ve ever seen, probably the greatest ODI innings ever. We’re just chatting about it, all the players, and we’ve decided it’s one of those days where you just go ‘I was there in the stadium the day Glenn Maxwell chased down that total by himself’.”
Sachin Tendulkar also joined in the chorus of praise with a social media post : “From Max pressure to Max performance! This has been the best ODI knock I’ve seen in my life,” Tendulkar tweeted.
Adam Gilchrist, long regarded as one of Australia’s greatest white-ball batsmen, agreed. “Clearly the best ODI innings ever,” Gilchrist tweeted. “Has always been the most exciting player in the world to watch in my opinion.”
Former India allrounder and coach Ravi Shastri compared Maxwell’s knock to that of Kapil Dev against Zimbabwe in the 1983 World Cup while Michael Vaughan, Virender Sehwag and Wasim Akram were among others to class Maxwell’s Mumbai miracle among the greatest of all time.
But is it the greatest knock in the 50-plus years of ODI cricket?
Here are the candidates – let us know in the comments which one you think is the best.
264 – Rohit Sharma, India v Sri Lanka, Kolkata, 2014: The record for the highest score in ODI cricket which came off just 173 deliveries. It was the second time he’d reached a double ton after doing so against Australia the previous year and he remains the only player to achieve the feat twice.
237 not out – Martin Guptill, New Zealand v West Indies, Wellington, 2015: The hard-hitting opener needed just 163 balls to make a mess of the Windies in a World Cup quarter-final with 24 fours and 11 sixes among the carnage.
219 – Virender Sehwag, India v West Indies, Indore, 2011: The swashbuckling opener blasted the Windies all over the park with 25 fours and seven sixes in his 149-ball epic, propelling India to 5-418 and a 153-run victory.
Glenn Maxwell celebrates the greatest one-day innings of his career. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
201 not out – Glenn Maxwell, Australia v Afghanistan, Mumbai, 2023: He came to the wicket with his team at 4-49 chasing 292 for victory, and when they were 7-91 all hope looked lost. He then proceeded to launch the bowlers into the stratosphere despite cramping up, hitting the winning runs off his 128th delivery with his 10th six after also belting 21 fours.
200 – Sachin Tendulkar, India v South Africa, Gwalior, 2010: It was fitting that ODI cricket’s first double ton was scored by the record-breaking Indian superstar. He needed just 147 balls in his glorious knock which featured 25 fours and three sixes.
189 not out – Viv Richards, West Indies v England, Manchester, 1984: A world record score which stood for 13 years, the Master Blaster finished unbeaten after 170 balls and added 106 for the final wicket with Michael Holding (12) as the team made 9-272 with only one other batter making double figures.
175 not out – Kapil Dev, India v Zimbabwe, Tunbridge Wells, 1983: Revered by India as the moment that defined their 1983 World Cup success, Kapil rescued them from 5-17 against the unheralded Zimbabweans and saved his team’s bacon in his 138-ball masterclass which included 16 boundaries and six sixes.
Indian cricket captain Kapil Dev during his record innings of 175 not out off 138 balls against Zimbabwe in the Cricket World Cup at Tunbridge Wells in 1983. (Photo by Trevor Jones/Getty Images)
175 – Herschelle Gibbs, South Africa v Australia, Johannesburg, 2006: The miracle of Joburg – the Proteas were in strife after conceding 4-434 but Gibbs flayed the Aussie attack from the get-go to reach the boundary 21 times and clear it on seven occasions in his 111-ball whirlwind to set up the most improbable of run-chases.
149 – Adam Gilchrist, Australia v Sri Lanka, Barbados, 2007: In the pressure cooker of a World Cup final, Australia’s keeper opened up with a 104-ball epic which included 13 fours and eight sixes at the famous Bridgetown ground to set up his nation’s third straight trophy.
149 – AB de Villiers, South Africa v West Indies, Johannesburg, 2015: The stylish South African used blunt force to dismantle the Windies, registering 16 sixes and nine fours while facing just 44 deliveries, reaching triple figures from a mere 31.
107 not out – Aravinda de Silva, Sri Lanka v Australia, Lahore, 1996: Australia were raging hot favourites in the World Cup final but de Silva played the innings of his career to nullify the bowlers and set up his nation’s historic first trophy.
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