Legendary Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting has been left speechless by Glenn Maxwell’s extraordinary innings against Afghanistan in the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023. Maxwell, in a display of sheer brilliance and resilience, became the first player in ODI history to score a double century while chasing, single-handedly rescuing Australia from a precarious situation against Afghanistan at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday, November 7.
Ponting, a renowned expert and keen observer of the game, was left in awe of Maxwell’s performance, stating that he had never witnessed anything like it and doubted if he ever would again. “I have been around a lot of games, playing and calling, and I have never seen anything like that, and I will be very surprised if I see anything like that ever again,” Ricky Ponting remarked after the match to the ICC.
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Australia found themselves in a deep hole after losing seven wickets for just 91 runs in the 19th over of the match. Afghanistan’s pacers had bowled a devastating spell in the first powerplay, dismantling Australia’s top order for under 50 runs. While Ponting acknowledged Afghanistan’s exceptional bowling, he emphasized that Maxwell’s innings was beyond anything anyone could have anticipated.
“At that stage, Afghanistan were up and about, they were really trying to take it to the Australians. They were verbal, there were things being said. There was great body language from the fielding group. They were really trying to put as much pressure on Australia as they could,” Ricky Ponting explained to the ICC.
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“Maxwell got through that first ball, got lucky a couple of times and the rest is history. It is an innings that we will be talking about for a long long time. I think at that stage he would have been thinking that he needs to be there till the end of the game for Australia to win. After 49/4 he knew that he had to be the man to take Australia to a win. Australia at one point of time had a 0.3 per cent chance of winning the game, that’s how much of a miracle of an innings it is,” Ponting lauded Maxwell.
Ponting further delved into the crucial partnership between Maxwell and Pat Cummins, highlighting the importance of communication between the two players at the Wankhede Stadium.
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Watch that innings. He got boundaries in the first couple of overs and then defended the balls hoping that Pat Cummins will look after the rest of it. There was a lot of communication between Maxwell and Cummins and they got it absolutely right,” Ricky Ponting analyzed the partnership.
With their victory over Afghanistan, Australia secured a spot in the semi-finals of the World Cup and will face South Africa in the next round of the tournament. Maxwell’s innings will undoubtedly be etched in the history of cricket, as a testament to his exceptional talent, determination, and ability to perform under immense pressure.
