Aus and Afg Glenn Maxwell becomes ‘Player of the Match;

In a thrilling encounter between Australia vs Afghanistan, Australia chased down a target of 292 runs despite losing seven wickets in quick succession. The hero of the match was Glenn Maxwell, whose extraordinary double century, comprising twenty-one fours and ten sixes, steered Australia to victory at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on 7 November. Facing a leg sprain, Maxwell showcased incredible determination, maintaining the run-rate with an onslaught of boundaries and sixes. Notably, he became the first Australian cricketer to achieve a double century in One Day Internationals (ODIs). While Travis Head, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis, Marcus Stoinis, and Mitchell Starc fell to Afghanistan’s bowlers in rapid succession, Maxwell’s stellar performance was complemented by skipper Pat Cummins, who provided crucial support by scoring 12 runs in 68 balls. In the 47th over, with Australia needing 21 runs from 4 overs, Maxwell took charge, smashing consecutive huge sixes on the second and third deliveries. He followed up with a boundary and another six, securing both the victory for Australia and his personal milestone of a double century. Naveen-ul-Haq, Azmatullah Omarzai, and Rashid Khan were the standout performers for Afghanistan, each picking up two wickets in the high-stakes match.

In the latest match, Glenn Maxwell stood out as the ‘Player of the Match.’

Following this victory, Australia’s tally now stands at 12 points in 8 matches, boasting a Net Run-Rate of (+)0.398, securing the third position behind India and South Africa. Meanwhile, Afghanistan slipped to the sixth position with 8 points and a NRR of (-)0.338.

Earlier in the game, Ibrahim Zadran made history by becoming the first Afghanistan batter to score a World Cup hundred, guiding his team to a total of 291 for five against Australia. Zadran exhibited exceptional skill, carrying his bat through the innings and finishing on 129 not out off 143 balls. The 21-year-old opener faced 131 balls, including seven fours, achieving his fifth one-day international century in 27 games. He reached this milestone with a daring single off fast bowler Josh Hazlewood, which turned into two due to an off-target throw.

The match kicked off with the fast bowling duo of Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood leading the charge for the Aussies. Despite losing opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz early on for a quick 25-ball 21, Zadran and Rahmat Shah managed to put up a strong partnership of 83 runs for the second wicket, setting a solid foundation. However, Rahmat Shah was eventually dismissed by Glenn Maxwell for a 44-ball 30 in the 25th over, with the score at 121.

Australia’s journey in the ICC World Cup 2023 has been marked by a remarkable comeback, especially after their initial defeats against India and South Africa. In contrast, Afghanistan has enjoyed a dream run in this year’s Cricket World Cup, currently holding the sixth position on the points table with 8 points from their 7 matches.

Australia’s upcoming matches against Afghanistan and Bangladesh on Nov. 11 are crucial as they need one more win to secure their spot in the semifinals. Meanwhile, Afghanistan faces a challenging road ahead, needing victories in their remaining games against Australia and South Africa on Nov. 10 to ensure a spot in the semifinals.

Here are the Playing XIs for today’s match:

Australia: Travis Head, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis(w), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins(c), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood

Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi(c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil(w), Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq

In the Australia vs Afghanistan head-to-head encounters

these two teams have faced off in 3 ODIs so far, all of which favored the Aussies. Their last clash occurred in June 2019 during the World Cup, where Australia emerged victorious by 7 wickets. Australia has a perfect record against Afghanistan in World Cup matches, having played 2 games and won both. Notably, in 2015, Australia defeated Afghanistan by a massive 275-run margin. However, Afghanistan’s team is well aware of their current strength, having evolved into a completely different squad. They possess the capability to challenge Australia and give them a tough competition.

In the highlights of the match:

1. Australia made an early breakthrough as Hazlewood dismissed Rahmanullah Gurbaz, caught by Mitchell Starc at deep backward square leg.

2. Rahmat Shah departed, caught by Josh Hazlewood off Maxwell’s bowling.

3. Mitchell Starc showcased his bowling prowess, clean bowling Afghanistan’s skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi with a splendid yorker.

4. Azmatullah Omarzai’s aggressive approach backfired as he was caught at long-off off Adam Zampa’s delivery in the 43rd over.

5. Afghanistan managed to finish strong, thanks to quick cameos from Mohammed Nabi (12 runs from 10 balls) and Rashid Khan (35* runs from 18 balls).

Australia’s batting display unfolded as follows:

Naveen-ul-Haq delivered the second over for Afghanistan, making an early impact by dismissing Travis Head for a DUCK on just the second delivery. In the sixth over, Naveen-ul-Haq struck again, this time claiming Marsh (24) as his victim.

Azmatullah Omarzai continued his relentless attack, removing David Warner on the very first delivery of the ninth over. Shortly after Warner’s departure, Omarzai dismissed Josh Inglis for a golden duck on the second delivery.

Australia reached the 50-run mark in 8.5 overs, requiring 53 balls to achieve this milestone. However, their journey was marred by setbacks. Rashid made his presence felt, first dismissing Labuschagne (14) via a RUN OUT on the first delivery of the 15th over. In the 17th over, Rashid struck again, taking the wicket of Stoinis.

The Australian team crossed the 100-run threshold in the 20.1 overs, utilizing 121 balls. The star of the innings, Glenn Maxwell, exhibited his prowess by completing a century in just 76 balls, marking his second century in this World Cup. This milestone was a testament to his extraordinary skills.

With an 8th wicket partnership, Australia managed to reach 150 runs in 28.1 overs, having faced 169 balls. The partnership of 100 runs between Glenn Maxwell and Patt Cummins came up in 89 balls.

Australia’s total continued to climb steadily as they reached 200 runs in 34.6 overs, utilizing 210 balls. Glenn Maxwell‘s performance was nothing short of spectacular as he eventually completed 150 runs off 104 balls, including 17 boundaries and 5 sixes. Moreover, he became the first Australian batter in ODI history to achieve a remarkable 200 runs.

The 8th wicket partnership further flourished, achieving 200 runs in 170 balls, with Glenn Maxwell leading the charge. Australia’s journey culminated with the team crossing the 250-run mark in 43.3 overs, having faced 261 balls.

In the end, Glenn Maxwell‘s exceptional performance propelled Australia to a victory over Afghanistan by 3 wickets, with 19 balls to spare.

In the Australia vs Afghanistan live match, here’s the detailed scorecard:

Afghanistan Batting:

Ibrahim Zadran: 129* runs
Rashid Khan: 35* runs
Rahmat Shah: 30 runs
Hashmatullah Shahidi: 26 runs
Azmatullah Omarzai: 22 runs
Rahmanullah Gurbaz: 21 runs

Australia Bowling:

Josh Hazlewood: 2 wickets for 39 runs in 9 overs
Mitchell Starc: 1 wicket for 70 runs in 9 overs
Glenn Maxwell: 1 wicket for 55 runs in 10 overs
Adam Zampa: 1 wicket for 58 runs in 10 overs

Australia Batting:

Glenn Maxwell: 201* runs
Mitchell Marsh: 24 runs
David Warner: 18 runs
Marnus Labuschagne: 14 runs
Pat Cummins: 12* runs

Afghanistan Bowling:

Naveen-ul-Haq: 2 wickets for 47 runs in 9 overs
Azmatullah Omarzai: 2 wickets for 52 runs in 7 overs
Rashid Khan: 2 wickets for 44 runs in 10 overs

Australia vs Afghanistan Live: Glenn Maxwell becomes ‘Player of the Match’

In the live match between Australia and Afghanistan, Glenn Maxwell was crowned the ‘Player of the Match.’ During the intense showdown, Maxwell showcased his exceptional skills, crafting an unbeaten double century in a mere 128 balls. His outstanding performance propelled the Australian side to secure a thrilling victory against Afghanistan by 3 wickets.

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