Glenn Maxwell revealed that he battled through hamstring problems and back spasms during his double hundred against Afghanistan in the World Cup 2023 match held at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on November 7.
Despite facing multiple cramps, Maxwell persevered and delivered one of the most remarkable innings in the history of One Day Internationals (ODIs), if not the greatest. The right-handed batter remained unbeaten with a stunning score of 201 runs off 128 balls, including 21 fours and 10 sixes.
With his extraordinary performance, Australia clinched the match by three wickets and secured their spot in the semi-finals of the prestigious event hosted in India. Maxwell explained that he managed to maintain a clear mindset once he realised that cramps had limited his mobility.
"But as I went, 'Oh no, I am cramping'. I'll cramp in. My left hamstring at the same time. So, I was like, I have got both legs and then I had a back spasm when I hit the ground," Maxwell was quoted as saying in a video uploaded on ICC.
"But it actually probably made the whole job a little bit simpler. I wasn't sort of overthinking the situation, I just knew if I got a ball that I could hit, I would try and hit it," he added.
Pat Cummins, positioned at the non-striker's end, advised Adam Zampa to prepare in case Maxwell needed to leave the field.
"Yeah, I thought he was going off, so I kind of signalled to Zampa to get down here because, yeah, he literally couldn't move. Jonesy the physio was out there obviously and he kind of convinced Maxi that if he came off it might be worse off. So, try and hang out there, stand up," Cummins said in the post-match press conference.
Australia's upcoming match is set for November 11 against Bangladesh at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune.
(Powered by AI, Inputs by India Today)
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