'When I hit ground...': Maxwell reveals how he played with clear mind despite restricted movement

In a remarkable display of determination and grit, Glenn Maxwell overcame severe physical setbacks to propel Australia to a thrilling victory over Afghanistan in the World Cup 2023 match held at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Tuesday, November 7.

3 things you need to know 
Australia have qualified for the World Cup 2023 semi-finals
Australia beat Afghanistan by three wickets in Mumbai

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Maxwell, who had been battling hamstring issues and back spasms during the match, stunned cricket fans with an unbeaten double century, scoring 201 runs off just 128 balls. His explosive innings included 21 fours and 10 sixes, marking one of the greatest performances in the history of One Day Internationals (ODIs).

Despite frequent cramping and back spasms, Maxwell refused to give in and powered Australia to a nail-biting three-wicket victory, securing their place in the World Cup semi-finals on Indian soil.

Maxwell later revealed that he played with a clear mind, despite the physical distress. He recounted, “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.

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“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,” Maxwell said in a video shared by ICC.

Australia captain Pat Cummins, who was with Maxwell at the non-striker's end, had initially thought Maxwell might have to leave the field due to his condition. However, the team's physiotherapist, Jonesy, convinced Maxwell to stay on the field, and the explosive batter continued to make history.

“I thought he was going off, so I kind of signalled to (Adam) 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 next challenge in the World Cup 2023 is a match against Bangladesh on November 11 at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune.